First Cow

Kelly Reichardt

Direccions USA 122 min Catalan premiere Fiction

Synopsis

Kelly Reichardt once again trains her perceptive and patient eye on the Pacific Northwest, this time evoking an authentically hardscrabble early nineteenth century way of life. A taciturn loner and skilled cook (John Magaro) has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant (Orion Lee) also seeking his fortune; soon the two collaborate on a successful business, although its longevity is reliant upon the clandestine participation of a nearby wealthy landowner’s prized milking cow. From this simple premise Reichardt constructs an interrogation of foundational Americana that recalls her earlier triumph Old Joy in its sensitive depiction of male friendship, yet is driven by a mounting suspense all its own. Reichardt again shows her distinct talent for depicting the peculiar rhythms of daily living and ability to capture the immense, unsettling quietude of rural America.

Themes

FriendshipLoveNorth American CinemaFemale DirectorHistoryWestern

Filmmaker

Kelly Reichardt

She is one of the essential references of recent North American independent cinema. Her debut feature, River of Grass, was selected at Sundance and nominated for the Independent Spirit Awards. Since then, she has directed seven feature films, selected at all the major festivals, which have made her one of the most relevant authors of today, with stories that move away from big cities and speak of intimate relationships between people and their environments.

Filmography: First Cow (2019), Owl (curt, 2019), Certain Women (2016), Night Moves (2013), Meek's Cutoff (2010), Wendy y Lucy (2008), Old Joy (2006), Then a Year (curt, 2001), Ode (migmetratge, 1999), River of Grass (1994)

Kelly Reichardt

Film information

Director: Kelly Reichardt
Script: Kelly Reichardt, Jon Raymond
Contact: Avalon
With: John Magaro, Orion Lee, Toby Jones, Scott Shepherd, Gary Farmer, Lily Gladstone
Country: USA
Year: 2019
Format: DCP
Length: 122 min
Language: English
Subtitles: Spanish
Edition: 2021

Awards

GIJÓN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Best Film at Albar Section

DEAUVILLE FILM FESTIVAL
Jury Prize

Poster

First Cow