Félix-Antoine Duval and Solène Rigot star in Shepherds.Route 504
- Shepherds
- Directed by Sophie Deraspe
- Written by Sophie Deraspe and Mathyas Lefebure
- Starring Félix-Antoine Duval and Solène Rigot
- Classification N/A; 113 minutes
- Opens in select theatres March 7
Critic’s Pick
Mathyas Lefebure has the guts to do something most of us have only considered: In the wake of an existential crisis, he abruptly quits his copywriting job in Montreal and starts life anew in France.
Yet Shepherds is hardly a romanticized notion of leaving it all to live off the land. Instead, Canadian director and co-writer Sophie Deraspe uses Lefebure’s emotional, mental and physical journey to create a tangible relationship between our protagonist and the countryside that rivals some of the greatest love stories of all time.
Based on Lefebure’s 2006 book, D’où viens tu, berger?, Shepherds introduces us to Mathyas (played by Félix-Antoine Duval) as he delivers his last words to family, friends and foes before abandoning his life for greener pastures. Hoping to begin shepherding as a means of reconnecting with nature and embracing more honest work, he manoeuvres his way through a difficult, relentless industry and eventually finds himself in the Alps, shepherding alongside a former civil servant named Élise (Solène Rigot) who has joined him on his quest.
Admittedly, the premise is as simple as it is unbelievable: Who drops modernity at the door to work alongside 800 sheep? Who finds love amidst a grazing flock? Well, Mathyas Lefebure. And despite the ease in which Deraspe could exploit the tranquility of mountainside life or position Lefebure as a Canadian folk hero, she instead focuses on the relationships necessary to make his dreams a reality.
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Shepherds is based on Mathyas Lefebure’s 2006 book, D’où viens tu, berger?Route 504
Shepherding is tough, physical labour. It is messy, and – as evidenced several times throughout the film – can test the mental capacity of a person easily; both because it’s such isolated work and because the life and death situations faced by shepherds (or anybody who works with animals) is painful and formative. Lefebure’s evolution from city boy to country mouse is defined by challenges, and Deraspe forces us to confront those challenges right alongside him. Sure, tragedy is cushioned by the picturesque Alps, but at no point are we free of abandoning his story to daydream about making it our own.
Deraspe’s vision is also helped by the talents of Duval and Rigot, whose characters grow steadily together and with agency. Duval, in particular, transforms his character from a starry-eyed shepherd wannabe into a three-dimensional person whose liberation from the life he knew is accompanied by a noted weight on his shoulders. Rigot, whose own character could quickly succumb to manic pixie dream-girl tendencies, brings a steadiness to Élise that anchors Mathyas and prompts the discussions necessary to justify this new life on the lamb. (I’m sorry, I had to.)
Ultimately, Shepherds is a victory for Deraspe, her actors, and us. Just think twice before quitting your own 9 to 5 to try your hand at guarding a flock.