Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Mannheim-Heidelberg 2009

In the austere world of the Swiss Alps the relationship between a dairy farmer and his wife takes a dramatic turn with the arrival of a Spanish farm hand. With the nuanced portrayal of the characters in their physicality and the masterly use of filmic means, Séverine Cornamusaz has achieved a piece of art of universal importance. Archaic nature is the backdrop to the fragile beginnings of a process of humanisation.