Life in the Appalachian Mountains and Life in Southern France - Big Moccasin and Bugarach

Two films showing at Visions du Réel this weekend - A slice of life in France and the U.S. A.

. Photo above  - A scene from Bugarach.  Below - Scenes from Big Moccasin.  All photos  - courtesy Visions du Réel. Big Moccasin, directed by Chelsea Moynehan, is a portrait of various individuals who live on Big Moccasin Road in the Appalachian Mountains in S.W Virginia in the U.S A. Bugarach, directed by Sergi Cameron, Ventura Durall and Salvador Sunyer, is a similar portrait of individuals living a world away in a small village in South West France. In the U.S film, men in army camouflage clothes drink beer, travel with guns in their pick-ups, hunt, smoke and chat about nothing very much all to the background of a fiddle and country music. Locals attend a white clapboard church while the slow pace of country life passes by. In Bugarach, locals buy baguettes, the women of the village sweep their doorsteps, local kids muck around with bows and arrows during the long, hot French summer holidays and a jaded hack at the local newspaper smokes and looks bored. At first glance this small town living in both countries seems to live up to its clichés. Life looks almost peaceful and bucolic yet all is not what it seems. Firstly, life in Bugarach is about to change. A rumour has emerged that the village is one of the few places that will be spared from the from the end of the world as predicted by the Mayas. Consequently the village become the focal point for all journalists from around the world, for eccentric's, for mystic worshippers and for strange individuals. The local mayor gets involved, a village meeting is held to discuss the influx of unwanted visitors and the villages begin to bicker and resent the  attention of the  media presence.

No such momentous event is foreseen over in Big Moccasin, nevertheless a series  of incidents lead to petty squabbles and upsets and sad scenes when a member of the community passes away. We see glances of the hardship of the life in the area, the struggle to make ends meet. From the tobacco farmers and views of the lovely scenery in Virginia, to views of the French countryside, these two films, set oceans apart are a superb, intimate portrayal of life for the residents in these two very different corners of the globe. Big Moccasin will be shown on Saturday 26th April at 21:00 at the Salle la Colombiere and on Sunday 27th at 13:00 at the Théatre de Marens. The film is in English (with subtitles too in English!) Bugarach will be shown on Saturday 26 at 2130 and on the 27th at 10:00 Both screenings are at the Salle Communale. You can now buy tickets online in advance for all films from the Visions du Reel site.