Das Kalb in der Kuh und das Korn in der Kist'. Ein Bergbauernjahr im Ultental
Veal in the cow and grain in the coffer. A year in the life of the mountain farmers of Val d'Ultimo
Josef Schwellensattl / Germany / 2007 / 89 min / Colour
The Oberhof is one of the last mountain cabins found deep in the Val d'Ultimo. For centuries, the Schwienbacher lived here, calling these huts "Oberhofer". Luis and Wascht, brothers who live with their elderly mother Zilla, set off at the end of June with scythe and rake, moving to the Tufer refuge at 2000 meters. In August, they cut the fields, taking care not to miss a single blade of hay. In winter, the hay is loaded onto sleds and tied with cords made by the brothers (under the watchful eye of their mother) from cowhide. The descent into the valley is cause for celebration. Once, young girls would choose the boy with the most attractive sled to dance with; no one dances any more, because there are no longer any girls.
Josef Schwellensattl
Josef Schwellensattl was born in the Val d’Ultimo in 1954. After receiving a diploma at the Art School of Ortisei, he moved to Munich where he attended the Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen. Since 1981, he has worked as an author and director for the Bayerisches Fernsehen. His documentary, Das Kalb in der Kuh und das Korn in der Kist' (2007), won the Lessinia d'Argento at the XIII Film Festival della Lessinia.
Credits
Language German Screenplay Josef Schwellensattl Cinematography Rupert Heilgemeir, Alexander Kraeft, Martin Rösner Editing Petra Knorr, Sylvia Nawrot, Katharina Sanders, Christian Virmond Production company Bayerischer Rundfunk