User:ConnorGriffith/In the Name of the Land

In the Name of the Land is a French drama directed by Édouard Bergeon and produced by Nord-Ouest Films, released in theaters on September 25, 2019 and February 4, 2020 on DVD. The film is constructed like a familial saga, following the real tale of the director and that of his family.

Synopsis
In 1979, at 25 years old, Pierre Jarjeau returns home from Wyoming — where he worked and completed his training on a large breeding ranch — in order to be with his fiancé, Claire, and takeover the family farm : he bought it on credit from his father, full of ambition.

In 1996, Pierre and Claire have two adolescent children, the farm has grown, the mechanization of crops has increased and the paternal breeding of sheep has given way to more profitable sheep raising. But the debts have accumulated because of this and Claire tells Pierre that the treasury is empty. In order to stay afloat, she accepts to go over the accounts with a lawyer. In addition to the management of the farm, she does most of the housework. But she loves Pierre...

To get out of this mess, Pierre recommends to use the dead period of sheep breeding in order to diversify and begin chicken breeding. The poultry society with which he ties himself to promises him wonderful returns, explains to him that he will not make this installation profitable as merely a temporary activity, and consols him to think big when constructing a new building, entirely automatic, for his chickens. It it necessary to request a large loan for this though, that the bank grants him without any difficulties in view of the project being sponsored by his client. Around him, the reactions vary from jealousy to considering it a catastrophe.

Things do not happen as planned. The automatisation is faulty and Pierre and Claire begin to grow apart. His father calls him out for not having listened to him, father and son are stubborn and gruff in equal amounts. The worst is yet to come however : the sheep breeding building catches fire in front of a powerless Pierre and his family.

Pierre has been sobered : he is prostrate, rising solely to smoke and then going back to bed. The little that he does on the farm proves to be dangerous. Claire resolves herself to have him confined, following the advice of a doctor. She and the children cannot even see him, it is a condition of the care's success. Eventually, he is released, and rediscovers happiness within himself and at the farm. He seems prepared to bounce back. But sometime later, he commits suicide by swallowing a toxic mix of chemical farm products.

The final moments of the film show the fall of Pierre Jarjeau : 1954-1999, name replaced by Christian Bergeon, with the same dates, revealing that the film was inspired by the life of the director's father. A screen reminds us that in France a farmer commits suicide everyday.

Technical Sheet

 * Original Title : Au nom de la terre
 * Directed by : Édouard Bergeon
 * Written by : Édouard Bergeon, Bruno Ulmer and Emmanuel Courcol
 * Music : Thomas Dappelo
 * Artistic direction : Camille Bougon-Pigneul
 * Set design : Pascal le Guellec
 * Costumes : Ariane Daurat
 * Photography : Éric Dumont
 * Sound : Philippe Vandendriessche, Alexandre Fleurant, and Fabien Devillers
 * Edited by : Luc Golfin
 * Produced by : Christophe Rossignon et Philip Boëffard
 * Production society : Nord-Ouest Films
 * Distribution society : Diaphana Distribution (France)
 * Budget : 5.3 million euros
 * Country of production : 🇫🇷
 * Original language : French
 * Format : color — 2,35:1
 * Genre : drama
 * Duration : 103 minutes
 * Release date :
 * France : 25 September, 2019
 * Classification :
 * France : General audiences

Cast

 * Guillaume Canet : Pierre Jarjeau
 * Veerle Baetens : Claire Jarjeau
 * Anthony Bajon : Thomas Jarjeau
 * Rufus : Jacques Jarjeau, Pierre's father
 * Samir Guesmi : Mehdi
 * Yona Kervern : Emma Jarjeau
 * Marie-Christine Orry : Martine Jarjeau
 * Mélanie Raffin : Sarah
 * Solal Forte : Rémi
 * Michel Lerousseau : the doctor
 * Emmanuel Courcol : the notary
 * Christophe Rossignon : the banker
 * Gilles Kneusé : the psychiatrist

Production
The story was inspired by the real life of the director-screenwriter and that of his family. He describes the film himself as "a familial sage that brings a human point of view to the evolution of the agricultural world these past 40 years".

Guillaume Canet randomly discovered the documentary Les fils de la terre by Édouard Bergeon in turning on his television. He is furthermore present in the shooting of Mon garçon, produced by Christophe Rossignon. The actor said during the latter that he would like to adapt a feature film of this documentary and that he wished to direct it. Christophe Rossignon explained that this project was already in development and that he was going to produce it. Guillaume Canet found out about the screenplay and got involved in the project from the outset.

The shooting began in June 2018. It took place on a farm at Saint-Pierre-sur-Orthe (Mayenne). The shooting took place during two distinct periods(summer and winter). The second shooting period was beneficial for the director. "In beginning the second shooting period, I was better prepared : all of my scenes were cut out, I had already showed the first part of the film, I knew what was working and what was not working, the time that was necessary in order to prepare a plan, at what speed the board could react and, mostly, I found the instinct which guided me when I make my documentaries, that I always frame myself.

Reception
The film received an excellent reception all over the rural world, less so in urban zones. In three weeks of operation it had reached a million theater admissions.

Box-office
Produced with a budget of 5.37 million euros. In the Name of the Land reached 1,975,583 admissions in France and 72,949 in Italy. Worldwide receipts amounted to $15.4 million, representing profitability (outside of DVD and VOD) of around 340%.

Awards

 * Angoulême French Film Festival 2019 : Best actor award for Anthony Bajon

Nominations

 * Angoulême French Film Festival 2019 :
 * Screenplay award for Édouard Bergeon
 * Film music award for Édouard Bergeon
 * César 2020 :
 * Best first film for Édouard Bergeon
 * Best masculin hope for Anthony Bajon
 * César of the public

Notes and References
