Back to Burgundy (2017): France

Reviewed by Margaux Pfau. Viewed at the Santa Barbara Film Festival 2018.

Back to Burgundy (Ce qui nous lie), directed by Cédric Klapisch (L’auberge espagnole, Call my Agent) is a film that takes place in Bourgogne, France, in a vineyard. Three children are reunited together at the family vineyard because their father is about to die. One of them, Jean (Pio Marmaï) has left ten years ago to travel around the world, he has met a girl in Australia, and had a child and a vineyard with her. He has never given any news till he gets back to the family vineyard. By the time the father dies, the grape harvest has started and Jean is staying with his siblings to help. They will face inheritance problem, and Jean will be torn between staying and helping his siblings or leaving them and the vineyard for his Australian life.

It’s a premier for Klapisch to shot in the countryside. The idea of the movie came from his father, who’s passionate about wine. It was challenging because the shooting had to last a year considering that he had to shot every season to show the vineyard transitions including the grape harvest. The vineyard is none other than his friend’s, Jean-Marc Roulot (actor and wine producer) with who he has collaborated on the series Call my Agent (2017). Klapisch came to his vineyard for a year, chose a tree and took pictures every season to see the transitions the vineyard was facing.

We can totally see that the vineyard was his main actor for the movie, it is as important as the characters. Indeed, the siblings are growing (traveling, getting married, having kids…) and the vineyard changes every season as well, but at the end, they all remain the same.

If you’re not a wine lover, it doesn’t matter because not only the landscapes are beautifully shot and transport you during two hours in a beautiful vineyard. But also because the family aspect of the story is really touching which makes you realize how proud and blessed you are with your own heritage and family.

 

 

 

 

 


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