Vittorio De Seta delivers another one of his brief rough cut gem documentaries featuring the rustic lifestyle of Orgosolo shepherds tending their flocks amid a harsh Sardinian landscape. Narration free with a short prologue it records an occupation that has remained the same for centuries, battling an unforgiving terrain as they tend and protect their flocks in the raw of winter.

The telling is simple, its characters stoic as De Seta captures the mood through terse but striking visuals, featuring some outstanding night photography and crisp soundtrack that brings accent to the isolation. A beautifully somber telling.

Italian cinema has deeply influenced world cinema through its socially conscious realism and modernist experimentation, but it also flourished in popular genres like peplum (sword & sandal), giallo thrillers, and broad comedies. Its narratives often weave together politics, contemporary social change, class consciousness, and family dynamics, balancing artistic ambition with entertainment that resonated widely.

Lamberto Maggiorani in Bicycle Thieves (1948)

The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

Dziga Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (1929)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

A short set in Sardinia which documents the hard life of shepherds tending their goat herd.

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine, Dean Martin, Nancy Gates, Martha Hyer, and Arthur Kennedy in Some Came Running (1958)

Mel Gibson, Milla Jovovich, and Jeremy Davies in The Million Dollar Hotel (2000)

Orgosolo's Shepherds

Photos3

User reviews1

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed