The Last Italian Cowboys
Alberese, in the Tuscan Maremma, is home to the last three remaining butteri, the last Italian cowboys. These heroic men still rear cattle in the wild, and are living examples of the possibility of redemption between humans and nature. Reflected in both the eyes of these men and those of their animals are the feeling they have of living a life with meaning, a life that they will never give up. Two young men have joined the group to learn this traditional craft, a tough job that few can do. Only one of them will make it. The future of this ancient world will lie in his hands.
Original title: Gli Ultimi Butteri
International title: The Last Italian Cowboys
Country: Italy
Duration: 54/95
Language: Italian
Director: Walter Bencini
Production company: Insekt Film, Istituto Luce (producers), Berta Film (executive producer)
A love song to the Maremma region of Italy, The Last Italian Cowboys profiles the butteri, or cowboys, who work on one of the last ranches that breeds cattle and horses in the wild. Shot over the changing seasons in an area that stretches between southern Tuscany and northern Lazio, the film chronicles the lives of these amiable weather-beaten wranglers, their synchronicity with the rhythms of the land, and their relationship with the animals they steward. From the veteran cowpoke who doesn’t want to be known as one of the last of a breed, to the young men who are learning the trade and wondering if there is enough money in riding the range to support a family, The Last Cowboys celebrates the camaraderie of this rugged band. For anyone who loves the Tuscan countryside or simply seeks escape from everyday office routine, this film’s exquisite lensing provides a close-up of sweeping vistas of the Tyrrhenian Sea, bucolic shots of cows (and the cowboys reciting their names), and a unique perspective on how an organic, free-range ranch carries out Italy’s slow food traditions.
2019 Festival Ars Contemporanea 2019: Winner Best Documentary
2019 Tulum Word Enveronment Film Festival 2019: Winner Best Documentary
2019 Toscana Filmmakers Festival 2019
2019 Bellaria Film Festival – Official Selection Bei Doc
2019 NICE New italian Cinema Events Festival – Russia – Special Events
2018 Biografilm Festival
2018 NICE New italian Cinema Events Festival – USA -Documentaries
2018 Mente Locale 2018
2017 Visioni dal Mondo – Pitching forum Visioni Incontra: Winner of Best Documentary Project