Peter and Ben

Pinny Grylls, UK

Documentary, 2007, 10'

Peter is a man, who retired from social life and settled in an isolated valley to cattle sheeps. Ben is a young orphan he found and adopted, and with who he created a very deep link of friendship. Ben is a sheep.

Is it a good idea to be friend with a sheep ? He grew up with Peter, and developped some habits of a spoiled child, entering in the house, very curious, eating anything. He follows him when he takes care of his cattle, not adapted to the life with other sheeps, but very sensitive to Peter's words and moods.

This is a documentary and a double portrait... The camera follows Peter while he is wondering about this relation-sheep. The result is very sentitive, with beautiful moments, though funny, when he tries to release Ben in the hills with the other sheeps, and secretely hopes that he will come back, listening to the « Beeeeh » to regognise him. But as he doesn't come back, he says with regret in his woice « He could be more a sheep than a human, after all... »

Never the man seems insane or absurd : the two friends are just living together, and their relationship, out of nowhere, seems very natural, very attaching...