As someone who has spent a considerable part of my life navigating through the intricate web of traditions and societal norms, I find a striking resonance in both “Harvest” and “April”. These films, much like the landscapes they inhabit, are vast in their scope yet compact in their narrative, capturing the essence of a week that can irrevocably alter the course of one’s life.
In Athina Rachel Tsangari’s film Harvest, a Scottish farmer named Walter Thirsk (Caleb Landry Jones) guides a visitor and mapmaker called Mr. Quill (Arinzé Kene) through the land they farm. On a lush, green hillside, they pause to contemplate the sky and trees. The story takes place in the past, though the precise time period remains vague. As a group of children led by their teacher approach from up the hill, they are told one by one to hit their heads against a rock. This rock serves as a boundary stone for their world. From an early age, these children are taught that their connection to the land is painful, a lesson that, although violent, has a dark sense of humor.
This year at the New York Film Festival, Dea Kulumbegashvili’s film “April” shares the screen with “Harvest”. Similar in spirit to “Vera Drake”, this contemporary story follows Nina (Ia Sukhitashvili), an OB/GYN in Eastern Georgia. She navigates between the cold, imposing hospital environment where she faces investigation following a birth mishap, and the wild, pastoral landscapes of mountain villages where she performs clandestine abortions for those in need. Despite having no source of distress, it’s evident that Nina feels out of place in her native countryside. Each journey to the mountains is fraught with the danger of violence and the raw power of nature (thunderous storms, oppressive darkness).
These movies share an epic quality, likely due to the untamed grandeur of the environments depicted, even though each story unfolds within a mere seven days. For Walter and Nina, characters who navigate both the geographical and societal boundaries of their worlds, these weeks might prove among the most challenging in their lives. They could turn everything they thought they knew upside down, forcing them to redefine themselves and their actions.
In the story “Harvest”, Walter finds himself on the brink of modernity and capitalism, particularly capitalism. His unnamed village seems as ancient as time itself, with Master Kent (played by Harry Melling) more of a presence than a ruler. The approaching corporate-like change they face could wipe out their traditional way of living completely. Walter has been able to move between the village and Master Kent’s estate for years, having grown up together despite their different social positions. Unlike others in the village, Walter can read – he is eager to learn from Mr. Quill’s mapmaking tools and art supplies. However, for many villagers, a mapmaker on their land signals the end of the world; they believe that naming things means destroying them. Soon, Master Kent’s relative arrives with guns and horses, intent on transforming the land into grazing fields, leaving little room for villagers or society.
The brief span of a week in April seems to mock us cruelly, given the hardships Nina has faced so far. Her life has plunged into an isolating era of individualism, devoid of community support. In stark contrast, Walter’s traditional village symbolizes an outdated yet charming (albeit imperfect) lifestyle. However, Nina’s journeys to the mountains feel like stepping back in time to a harsher, more restrictive existence.
As a movie critic, I found myself drawn into the claustrophobic narratives of “Harvest” and “April.” These films portray the lives of Walter and Nina, individuals whose routines have been etched on the edges of their worlds – hers a monotonous modern existence contrasted with the rugged wilderness of mountain villages, his a life that shifts between the simplicity of agriculture and the complexity of intellect.
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2024-10-03 21:53