A new wave of European cinema is turning its lens on the countryside, moving beyond traditional folk-horror to explore the real conflicts facing rural communities today. Films such as Max Keegan's documentary The Shepherd and the Bear depict the tensions between tradition and modernity, focusing on issues like the reintroduction of brown bears in the Pyrenees and the struggle to find successors for aging shepherds.
This 'neo-rural' cinema, as it is being called, often centres on clashes over land use and environmental policy. In 2022's The Beasts, a windfarm veto by French newcomers sparks violence in Galicia, while Alcarràs portrays Catalan peach farmers facing eviction for solar panels. Similarly, The Eight Mountains (2022) and documentary The Truffle Hunters (2020) examine the return of urbanites to the land, a phenomenon known in France as les néoruraux.
Some filmmakers bring personal experience to these stories. Francis Lee, director of God's Own Country (2017), grew up in a farming community, while Louise Courvoisier, who made cheese-making drama Holy Cow, splits her time between filmmaking and working on her family's farm. Even when directors are not from rural backgrounds, films like The Levelling (2017) and Super Bourrés (2023) show a strong familiarity with countryside life.
What distinguishes this wave from earlier rural cinema, such as Akenfield (1974) or Manon des Sources (1986), is a reverence for rural producers. From shepherds to truffle hunters, these films find heroism in supplying food, reflecting a broader foodie culture. However, old stereotypes persist in some films, such as the demonisation of queer rural folk in Speak No Evil (2024) and Men (2022).
