Les 4 saisons d'Espigoule

Christian Philibert goes back to Espigoule, the town he grew up in and left at twenty five. There he films the people of the town for a year. What comes out is a film that looks like a documentary but was written in advance. The town’s yearly goat rodeo, its New Year costumes and a bingo night all go into it. Sheep herding, the backbone of the local economy, is part of the account too. The locals take turns showing what they can do: painting, classical piano, imitation. The people playing the citizens of Espigoule really do live there. The work looks at its own home town with a teasing eye that never mocks. Christian Philibert’s French film, ninety seven minutes long, was completed in 1999.