Sleep Furiously

Publish date: 2024-07-17

Strikingly assembled and charmingly offbeat, Brit verite docu "Sleep Furiously" pays elegiac tribute to the fast-disappearing way of life of farmers in western Wales.

Strikingly assembled and charmingly offbeat, Brit verite docu “Sleep Furiously,” a feature-length debut for commercials helmer Gideon Koppel, pays elegiac tribute to the fast-disappearing way of life of farmers in western Wales. Though pic’s tone is far more poetic than polemical, its arty sensibility will endear it further to fest programmers. However, lack of aud-friendly storytelling or prominent “characters” will confine this to sleepier slots in the skeds of upscale broadcasters.

Shot (originally on Super 16) in and around helmer Koppel’s hometown, Trefeurig, the film unspools small vignettes of country life as the seasons pass. The helmer’s mother, for instance, walks her dogs. A man drives a mobile library into town to bring books to the locals. The community gathers to discuss the imminent closure of the village school. Glorious long-distance shots of people, sheep or farm vehicles moving through the rugged terrain make the landscape a character in its own right. Electronic score by Brit musician Aphex Twin and quirky editing by Mario Battistel keep the material from seeming too cutely pastoral, but also makes the film seem more rarefied and specialist.

Jump to Comments

Sleep Furiously

U.K.

More from Variety

Most Popular

Must Read

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Variety Confidential

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXGEjp%2BgpaVfp7K3tcSwqmirnJqysXnFrqmip6Woubp5kGtnaW1gbIVzg44%3D