Synopsis
Each portrait of this series consists of an interview between Alain Cavalier and a woman working in a rare or disappearing profession. At their place of work, they talk about their craft and the techniques they use, their training and their history, their tastes and their daily lives. These intimate documentary portraits reveal astonishing personalities and surprising work environments. Here, on her farm, the gentle Mrs Bouillon devotes herself to force-feeding, slaughtering and methodically eviscerating her geese.
A word from Tënk
Around the age of 3, children start to ask a whole lot of questions about the world around them. Often they start with "why" or "how". Each answer seems to lead to a new set of questions. It's the cycle of knowledge that runs its course. In his series of portraits, Alain Cavalier comes across as a veritable "child-filmmaker", eager to learn and constantly amazed by what makes up the daily lives of the ordinary people he films. Capturing the gestures, the tools, the techniques, the words… here, of this woman who has found her independence and a certain form of emancipation in her work as a goose feeder. From start to finish, he questions her, genuinely interested in understanding the details of her job, occasionally branching out into more personal aspects of her life. His enthusiasm is contagious, and the fascination is palpable. He skilfully alternates between highly technical and existential questions, offering us a complex portrait of this touching woman. In the process, the filmmaker also reveals himself to us, without artifice, unveiling both his inner world and the mechanics of his craft: lighting, shot length, missed takes, rehearsals. In the most generous way, he gives us access to the "hows" and "whys" of cinema, to the true meaning of documentary portrait.
Jason Burnham
Tënk editorial manager
