What it’s about
In this wordless doc, we get to know and love a mama pig named Gunda, who lives with her babes and some other livestock (specifically, cows and one-legged chicken) on a farm in Norway. The film projects us into their lives, experiences, and yes, emotions — so that we are, in effect, right beside them, seeing what they see. In the end, we feel newfound respect for these creatures, and perhaps more than a tinge of regret about where they usually end up.
Why we love it
Kossakovsky’s daring, miraculous film eschews the instructive language and gorgeous color photography of most animal docs, instead evoking a stripped-down, bird’s-eye view of a pig’s world on a farm. Shot up-close and in black-and-white, this subtle, gentle work of art sustains our interest and wonder for a full ninety minutes. Without hitting us over the head, it also makes an eloquent case that we should eat more vegetables. But you don’t need to be a vegetarian — or even an animal lover — to fall for “Gunda.”