The Echo of the Herd

Didier, who was born deaf, works on a livestock farm in the rural Auvergne region of France; since the death of his brother Claude, he has found solace in the daily care of the cows. He knows the animals like no one else and has an unerring sense of what the herd needs. But when an infectious disease breaks out, the herd is thinning out and the barns empty. The grief over his brother resurfaces with renewed intensity, and Didier faces the threat of again losing what is dear to him.

This documentary offers a unique glimpse into Didier’s inner world, giving him the space to share his story at length without spoon-feeding the audience. With his own combination of gestures, facial expressions and sounds, Didier tells his stories into the camera. The directors' choice not to subtitle his gesturing also asks focus from the viewer: meaning emerges slowly, from a movement, a repetition or an expression. Didier sets the pace. A blend of observational footage and poetic, dreamlike animations makes The Echo of the Herd a sensory ode to human resilience and connection; a life lesson.

The Echo of the Herd marks the feature film debut of the young directing duo Matthias Joulaud and Lucien Roux. The film premiered this spring at Visions du Réel, where their first short film, Ramboy (2022), had also been screened four years prior, and screened at PLONS! International Documentary Film Festival earlier this year.