Shepherds (film)
| Shepherds | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| French | Berger |
| Directed by | Sophie Deraspe |
| Screenplay by | Sophie Deraspe Mathyas Lefebure |
| Based on | D'où viens tu, berger? by Mathyas Lefebure |
| Produced by | Luc Déry Kim McCraw Élaine Hébert Caroline Bonmarchand Xenia Sulyma Sébastien Perret |
| Starring | Félix-Antoine Duval Solène Rigot |
| Cinematography | Vincent Gonneville |
| Edited by | Stéphane Lafleur |
| Music by | Philippe Brault |
Production companies | Avenue B Productions micro_scope |
| Distributed by | Maison 4:3 |
Release date |
|
Running time | 113 minutes |
| Countries | Canada France |
| Language | French |
Shepherds (French: Bergers) is a 2024 Canadian-French drama film directed by Sophie Deraspe.[1] An adaptation of Mathyas Lefebure's semi-autobiographical novel D'où viens tu, berger?, the film stars Félix-Antoine Duval as Mathyas, a burned-out advertising executive from Montreal who moves to Provence to become a shepherd.[2]
The cast also includes Solène Rigot, Younes Boucif, Bruno Raffaelli, Véronique Ruggia, Michel Benizri, Guilaine Londez and David Ayala.[1]
The film was screened for distributors at the 2024 Cannes Film Market,[3] and premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.[4] It was commercially released in November 2024.[5]
Cast
- Félix-Antoine Duval as Mathyas
- Solène Rigot
Reception
Pat Mullen of That Shelf wrote: "This sumptuous drama by Sophie Deraspe (Antigone) follows [the] pursuit of being a farmhand. Shepherds adapts Lefebure’s memoir D-où viens-tu, berger? and might thrill audiences with its notion of connecting with a traditional way of life while leaving them equally daunted by the realities of it. This is a touching, soul-stirring film that rejuvenates a viewer like a crisp flick of fresh air."[6]
The film was named to TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten list for 2024.[7]
Awards
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto International Film Festival | 2024 | Best Canadian Film | Sophie Deraspe | Won | [8] |
| Toronto Film Critics Association | 2024 | Rogers Best Canadian Film Award | Nominated | [9] | |
| Canadian Screen Awards | 2025 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Sophie Deraspe, Mathyas Lefebure | Nominated | [10] |
| Best Cinematography | Vincent Gonneville | Nominated | |||
| Quebec Cinema Awards | 2025 | Best Film | Luc Déry, Kim McCraw, Élaine Hébert, Caroline Bonmarchand, Xenia Sulyma | Nominated | [11] |
| Best Director | Sophie Deraspe | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Félix-Antoine Duval | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Sophie Deraspe, Mathyas Lefebure | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Direction | André-Line Beauparlant | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Vincent Gonneville | Won | |||
| Best Editing | Stéphane Lafleur | Won | |||
| Best Original Music | Philippe Brault | Won | |||
| Best Sound | Olivier Calvert, Stephen De Oliveira, Hans Laitres | Won | |||
| Best Visual Effects | Jean-François « Jafaz » Ferland, Marie-Claude Lafontaine, Marc Morissette | Nominated | |||
| Best Casting | Adélaïde Mauvernay, Nathalie Boutrie | Nominated | |||
| Most Successful Film Outside Quebec | Luc Déry, Kim McCraw, Élaine Hébert, Caroline Bonmarchand, Xenia Sulyma | Nominated | |||
| Prix Michel-Côté | Luc Déry, Kim McCraw, Élaine Hébert, Caroline Bonmarchand, Xenia Sulyma, Chantal Pagé, Sophie Deraspe, Mathyas Lefebure | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b Eric Lavallée, "Shepherd’s High: Sophie Deraspe Currently Filming “Berger” with Félix-Antoine Duval". Ioncinema, June 8, 2023.
- ^ Charles-Henri Ramond, "Sophie Deraspe en tournage en France". Films du Québec, June 13, 2023.
- ^ Rebecca Leffler, "Cannes 2024: the buzz titles from France". Screen Daily, May 14, 2024.
- ^ Jeremy Kay, "Ron Howard’s ‘Eden’, John Crowley’s ‘We Live In Time’ among Toronto world premieres". Screen Daily, July 9, 2024.
- ^ François Lévesque, "«Bergers»: Sophie Deraspe en hauteurs au TIFF". Le Devoir, September 7, 2024.
- ^ Mullen, Pat (2025-01-03). "Shepherds Review: Ewe Better Work". That Shelf. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
- ^ Carlos Diaz, "Canada’s Top Ten: TIFF Celebrates the Best in Cinema for 2024". That Shelf, January 8, 2025.
- ^ Harrison Richlin, "Who Will Win the TIFF People’s Choice Award? Live Updates from the Ceremony". IndieWire, September 15, 2024.
- ^ Nicholas Sokic, "TFCA unveils 2024 Canadian film nominees". Playback, December 16, 2024.
- ^ Charles-Henri Ramond, "Écrans canadiens 2025: les nominations". Films du Québec, March 27, 2025.
- ^ Fanny Bourel, "Une langue universelle en tête des nominations du Gala Québec Cinéma". Radio Canada International, October 8, 2025.