Sector 545

In Pays de Caux, the “secteur 545” refers to the limits within which Creton, a weigher for the dairy inspection office, works for the cattle raisers who request his services. Both an actor (in the sense of somebody who takes action) and a witness, the filmmaker records the moments of rural life far away from picturesque clichés. His informality, his attention and his patience allow for a few questions to sneak in amid all the cows. One of them, explicitly, serves as a red thread: human and animal, what’s the difference? Nowhere near the narrowness of an investigative spirit, this film, with its metaphysical accents, marries humor, respect, and the mysteries that rural life still has in stock. (Viennale)