A documentary film about a Welsh shepherd triumphed over 7,000 other submissions to earn a spot in the exclusive 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.
The film, called Heart Valley, details the life of Wilf Davies — a man with a deep connection to the daily routines of his farm. The documentary was inspired by an “Experience” piece in The Guardian. In the article, Davies (speaking through writer Kiran Sidhu) details the patterns of his life. He makes a case for finding solace in a routine. The article struck a chord with London-based documentarian Christian Cargill, who decided to make a film about Davies.
A sheep farm in Wales. Photo: andreac77, Shutterstock
The pleasures of routine
Davies, 73, eschews the internet and phones. He works alone, has never married, and eats the same meal every evening (fish, an onion, an egg, and baked beans.) He’s left Wales precisely one time — to visit a farm in England.
It doesn’t seem like the sort of life that would make for an engaging documentary in this age of oversaturated, algorithm-driven content. But both the article and the film seem to have struck a chord. We can’t wait to take a peek once it’s widely available for streaming. In the meantime, Heart Valley will make its world premiere at Tribeca this June.
