Women With Cows (Kokvinnorna)

Year: 2011
Country: SWEDEN
Run Time: 96 minutes

The Swedish countryside is serene. Midsummer light dances across meadows; thick snowflakes fall silently on trees. A steadfast presence in the passing of time are two aging WOMEN WITH COWS. Britt is nearly 80 and has been working the family dairy farm her entire life. Despite her inability to care for herself—she walks completely doubled over and looks homeless, with matted hair—she milks her dozen beauties every day by hand. Younger sister Inger's opinion of the bovine species is diametrically opposed to Britt's and she pleads with her to sell them off. Grumbling constantly, Inger nonetheless comes every day to help her disabled sister do the heavy work on the dilapidated farm. Through lovely home movies, we learn that Inger married long ago and moved down the road to have a life and family. The sisters' father insisted then that Britt stay on and help him. It is now 50 years later, she hasn't left the barn. This is a beautiful, ruminative film about family loyalty beyond reason. (In Swedish with subtitles) – B.B.

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