Watch Sweetgrass

Sweetgrass is a documentary film released in 2009, directed by Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor. The film captures a five-hundred-mile journey that a group of shepherds have to take to lead thousands of sheep and hundreds of cows from their winter pasture in the mountains of Montana to their summer grazing grounds in the Beartooth Mountains in the United States.

The film is shot in a fly-on-the-wall style, which means that no interviews or voice-overs are used. Instead, the filmmakers rely on the natural sounds and conversations of the shepherds to tell the story. This style of documentary is known as direct cinema, where the filmmakers aim to capture reality as it unfolds, without any artificial intervention.

The opening shots of the film show the cowboys getting their horses, dogs, and gear ready for the grueling journey. The camera captures close-ups of their faces as they prepare for the journey, giving the viewer a glimpse into their hardy and enduring lifestyle. The shepherds, their horses, and their dogs travel through stunning landscapes, including snow-covered mountainsides, plains, and rivers.

The journey is an arduous one, and the film captures the harsh reality of the hard work the cowboys have to endure. The trip takes over three months, and the shepherds have to deal with unpredictable weather conditions, physical exhaustion, and equipment malfunctions. Along the way, the shepherds encounter several challenges, including wolves attacking their sheep and a grizzly bear eating their food and equipment.

Throughout the film, the director emphasizes the beauty and vulnerability of the environment. The landscapes of the American West are breathtaking, and the film uses them to create a sense of wonder and awe. But the shepherds are also portrayed as stewards of the environment, responsible for protecting its fragile ecosystems, and ensuring the sustainability of their way of life.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the film is its immersive and visceral experience. The raw sounds of the sheep bleating, the horses neighing, the dogs barking, and the cowboys chatting create an intense and immersive sonic landscape. The camera captures stunning visuals, from the vast expanse of the American West to the close-up shots of the animals and the cowboys' faces. The film creates a sense of intimacy with the characters and the environment, allowing the viewer to feel as if they are part of the journey.

The lack of explanation, narration, or interviews in the film may make it difficult for some viewers to follow the storyline, as it is not always clear what is happening. But this lack of exposition also allows the film to create a sense of mystery and wonder. The filmmakers trust the viewer to make meaning out of what they see and hear.

Sweetgrass is a unique and compelling experience, a beautiful and immersive portrait of a vanishing way of life. The film captures the grit, determination, and courage of the American West's shepherds, who sacrifice their comfort and safety to protect their animals and the environment. The film also stands as a powerful reminder of the importance of respecting and preserving the natural world, which sustains us all.

Sweetgrass is a 2009 western with a runtime of 1 hour and 42 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8 and a MetaScore of 80.