Profils paysans - Raymond Depardon

The son of farmers, Raymond Depardon has devoted several short and feature films to the rural world, with a sensitive and intimate approach. In Profils Paysans, his emblematic trilogy, he captures a disappearing way of life in the French countryside. He records the words of farmers with restraint, revealing their bond with the land, the weight of tradition, and their solitude. His empathetic gaze honors a fading rural memory, confronted with the transformations of modern agriculture — a powerful and timely testimony.
Renowned photographer and filmmaker, Raymond Depardon has developed his documentary practice over more than six decades. His films have offered close observation across settings like psychiatric hospitals, courtrooms, the media, rural France and zones of conflict, with steady attention to everyday situations. Works such as San Clemente, Reporters and Délits flagrants form a clear and precise record in which time and listening are central. Since the 1980s, working closely with sound recordist and producer Claudine Nougaret, Depardon has shaped a restrained cinema that moves between intimate encounters and historical record.