Gauchos' triumph at Trento Film Festival for their stance against climate change

Gauchos' triumph at Trento Film Festival for their stance against climate change

Going the Distance: The Heartrending Grapples of an Aging Argentine Rancher

In the heart of Argentina, a gripping documentary Where the Trees Give Meat (or for other sources, Where the Trees Bear Meat) has stolen the spotlight at the 73rd Trento Film Festival, Italy's oldest film event dedicated to mountain and highland heritage. While not strictly a high-altitude film, it shares a profound connection with the event as this year's festival focused on the Argentine landscapes.

This poignant documentary, running just under an hour, chronicles the gritty struggle of Omar, an elderly rancher in the flat Argentine Pampas. Facing a catastrophic drought, Omar battles to keep his suffering livestock alive, relying on his self-reliance and the unbreakable bonds of his family's love. A captivating look into rural resilience, the film is another powerful demonstration of the festival's focus on climate change and the fragile ecosystems it affects.

As stated by the jury, director Alexis Franco "leads us into the Argentine Pampa, where different generations face the consequences of desertification and the dissolution of a world that seemed immutable." The result is a humanist neo-western that deconstructs and revitalizes the iconic Argentine figure of the gaucho, restoring dignity and vulnerability to their enduring community that resists without resorting to rhetoric.

The narrative unfolds subtly, progressing through Omar's daily routines and the arid Pampas landscapes where the power of images speaks volumes. The heart-wrenching opening scene depicts Omar dragging a cow's carcass through a scorched field, setting the emotionally charged tone for the movie.

In previous years, the festival has showcased similar pastoral themes, with a 2021 film depicting intense work on a Swiss alp receiving the Genziana d'Oro for best film, and another 2022 film about gaucho emigration winning the top prize. Over the years, the festival has expanded its scope from strictly alpine themes to cover more social, cultural, and contemporary topics, adopting an increasingly essay-like approach centered around nature, environmental sustainability, global peoples, and cultural confrontations.

Trento Film Festival president, Mauro Leveghi, commented: "With Where the Trees Give Meat, this edition's Grand Prize is also a cry of despair and a warning to shake people's conscience and make them understand that climate change has become a crisis that impacts everyone's life."

Additional Awarded Films

Among the 22 films in competition and 126 overall on display, other notable films included:

• The Italian Alpine Club Prize went to Adra, a documentary that takes viewers on an inspiring journey through the history, culture, and community of Llanberis in North Wales, one of the world's most famous climbing destinations, alongside Yosemite, where another awarded film, Valley Uprising, was set.
• The Golden Gentian for Best Exploration or Adventure Film - City of Bolzano Prize was awarded to All the Mountains Give, which revolves around Kurdish smugglers on the Iran-Iraq border. The film serves as a tribute to its director, cinematographer, and editor, Arash Rakhsha, who was once forced to become a smuggler himself but later honed his filmmaking skills through self-learning and spent six years filming the harsh lives of his friends and companions.
• The Silver Gentian for Best Technical-Artistic Contribution was awarded to Perfectly a Strangeness, a short film by Alison McAlpine, while the Silver Gentian for Best Short Film went to Anngerdaardardor by Cristoffer Rizvanovic Stenbakken.
• The Jury Prize went to The Wolves Always Come at Night, directed by Gabrielle Brady, and the T4FUTURE Prize went to Tête en l'air, directed by Rémi Durin.

The festival's artistic director, Luana Bisesti, commented: "In this 73rd edition, the black and white of the manifesto returns in the choices of the international jury—between resistance and discouragement, freedom and oppression, justice and abuse, inclusion and diversity, in that continuous ambivalence that provokes a reflection effort."

The 73rd Trento Film Festival took place from April 25th to May 4th, 2025, highlighting global cinema and often incorporating environmentally conscious programming. Without further specific information, the title discrepancy between different sources—Where the Trees Give Meat (our reference) and Where the Trees Bear Meat may stem from translation errors or distinct projects. For a more precise understanding, consulting official festival program details or production notes would be necessary.

1. In the realm of environmental science, the documentary, Where the Trees Give Meat, showcases the average daily struggles of an aging Argentine rancher, Omar, living in the Pampas, against the backdrop of climate-change-induced drought and the fragility of ecosystems.
2. The film, Where the Trees Give Meat, serves as a sustainable-living guide for the ecosystem's conservation, highlighting Omar's resilience and the importance of family love in times of hardship.
3. The festival's focus on space-and-astronomy, lifestyle, home-and-garden, and gardening is evidenced in the nominated film, Adra, which journeys through the history and culture of Llanberis in North Wales, a famous climbing destination.
4. The documentary, All the Mountains Give, revolving around Kurdish smugglers on the Iran-Iraq border, won the Golden Gentian for Best Exploration or Adventure Film - City of Bolzano Prize, symbolizing the fragility and resilience of human beings in extreme circumstances.
5. Arash Rakhsha, the director, cinematographer, and editor of All the Mountains Give, has an interesting background; a former smuggler himself, he turned to filmmaking after honing his skills through self-learning, capturing the harsh lives of his friends and companions on camera over six years.
6. The 73rd Trento Film Festival, which took place from April 25th to May 4th, 2025, presents a diverse range of films that showcase global cinema and often adopt an environmentally conscious programming approach.
7. In the artistic visuals presented in Where the Trees Give Meat, the charm of country living and the distress arising from climate change come together, offering a unique blend of science, humanism, and rural aesthetics.

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