The Apprentice

Matthieu runs after chickens with a slingshot, slips on the muddy road, but gets up undeterred and continues to play. The chickens cannot be allowed to escape. He is still a child, but nonetheless has to cope with painful family issues and take responsibility for farm work.

The 15-year-old boy divides his time between school and apprenticeship at a farm. The Apprentice is his tale, a balanced story about the son of a single mother, who little by little finds a father figure in Paul, the farm owner. During his apprenticeship, Matthieu learns things that cannot be learned in school.

Director Samuel Collardey’s cinematography is like a breath of fresh air. Filmed in the amazing landscape of the French-Swiss border, this documentary gives city dwellers a chance to take a breath and enjoy the vastness of the countryside.

Taina Vuokko | Translation by Anna Volmari