PASTRES DE SAMBUCANOS
PASTRES DE SAMBUCANOS
SANDRO GASTINELLI
Italy / 2002 / 30'
PASTRES DE SAMBUCANOS
SANDRO GASTINELLI
Italy / 2002 / 30'

In Valle Stura, in the western Alps, in southern Piedmont, on the border with France, a farming economy still exists that involves raising Sambucana sheep, a race that risked extinction in the last century with the depopulation of the mountains. Today, thanks to patient work, they have returned to populate the alpine pastures. The ‘Fiera dei Santi’, held every year on the last Sunday of October in Vinadio, is the place where the shepherds meet after descending from the mountains with their flocks for the winter. About 50 shepherds and almost 6,000 sheep. They are dedicated shepherds, even though their life has become more complicated with the return of the wolf to the Alps. It is a life of passion and love for the animals and the film describes the essence of it with the warmth of the Provence language spoken, with some variations, all along the valley.

Director

SANDRO GASTINELLI

Sandro Gastinelli and Marzia Pellegrino have been married since 1991. In addition to their marriage they have also cultivated their passion for stories told through the images of the people in the Western Alps, where they live in the chestnut wood of Rosbella di Boves with their two children and only 3 other inhabitants. Their passion soon becomes their job, a continual research in the territory: in over ten years of activity they have shot about a dozen documentary and fictional films which have participated in some of the most renowned mountain film festivals, receiving several international awards in Trento, Cervinia, Les Diablerets and Autrans. In 2000 they “made up” the Rosbella Film Festenàl on their doorstep, “the smallest film festival in the world”. Since 2007 they have been artistic directors of the video-cinematographic section of Cuneo mountain festival. They participated in TrentoFilmfestival with Parla de Kyé (1997), Mari, monti e … gettoni d’oro (1999), Aiga d’en viage (2000), Arriverà il sole (2001) Pastres de Sambucanos (2002), Piròt, en fièt d’en bot (2003), A l’avirùn ed l’àibu (2003), Marghè marghìer (2005) and OSSignùr! La montagna assistita (2008).