Dickie V
A story of a rural community in S.W France during the grape-picking and the pandemic of 2020 where a drama unfolds during the big pick. I am stuck in Tuchan, a tiny village, deep in Cathar Country, So…
Dickie V
A story of a rural community in S.W France during the grape-picking and the pandemic of 2020 where a drama unfolds during the big pick. I am stuck in Tuchan, a tiny village, deep in Cathar Country, South-West France. All international borders are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and I can not get back to Qingdao, China, where I live and work, so, I film the annual grape harvest which is mostly hand-picked, and where the vines cling precariously in rugged mountainous terrain. I follow Momo, one of the main characters, he lives in a small village alley, and runs the team with Alain Perez-Le Peps, the patron. Momo has Gypsy heritage from his Spanish mother and Polish father and both Alain and Momo share the story of their grandparents who ran from Spain's Franco, across the border, to France. The team is made up of migrant workers and local village people, and everything is going well until Le Peps becomes seriously ill after being bitten in the vines. He lives his 'dark night of the soul.' I follow as the pickers rally around Alain, they are committed and do what they can to save his harvest, not knowing if he will live or die. This is a documentary about unity, a rural community, healing and grapes. It is an observational film with touches of poetry and humor, where the grape vines and the mysterious mists of the Cathar country, camaraderie, wildness and spontaneity entwine, capturing the slow, ancient nature of Les Corbières, and the stories of the pickers over three weeks. (This film is bilingual in French and English). —Jeanne Pope
Dickie V
Documentary
Film Details
A story of a rural community in S.W France during the grape-picking and the pandemic of 2020 where a drama unfolds during the big pick. I am stuck in Tuchan, a tiny village, deep in Cathar Country, South-West France. All international borders are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and I can not get back to Qingdao, China, where I live and work, so, I film the annual grape harvest which is mostly hand-picked, and where the vines cling precariously in rugged mountainous terrain.
I follow Momo, one of the main characters, he lives in a small village alley, and runs the team with Alain Perez-Le Peps, the patron. Momo has Gypsy heritage from his Spanish mother and Polish father and both Alain and Momo share the story of their grandparents who ran from Spain's Franco, across the border, to France. The team is made up of migrant workers and local village people, and everything is going well until Le Peps becomes seriously ill after being bitten in the vines.
He lives his 'dark night of the soul.' I follow as the pickers rally around Alain, they are committed and do what they can to save his harvest, not knowing if he will live or die. This is a documentary about unity, a rural community, healing and grapes. It is an observational film with touches of poetry and humor, where the grape vines and the mysterious mists of the Cathar country, camaraderie, wildness and spontaneity entwine, capturing the slow, ancient nature of Les Corbières, and the stories of the pickers over three weeks.
(This film is bilingual in French and English). —Jeanne Pope.