Except for when he’s shearing to the strains of Daft Punk, Stijn Hilgers is a staunch traditionalist. One of the last shepherds of his kind, he lives a pastoral existence in the Dutch countryside with his family and his flock, offering grazing services to landowners who wish to tend to their fields sustainably, without the aid of mechanized means. But his idealistic and easygoing disposition is put to the test as his pool of clients grows ever smaller; stiff competition from smart machinery and disappearing subsidies make his old-fashioned services a costly proposition. Stijn is willing to fight to preserve the cultural heritage of shepherding, but the odds are against him. As filmed by director Ton Van Zanvoort, Sheep Hero fashions Stijn’s struggle into compelling tragicomic cinema, with stakes worthy of a classic western and a charismatic star that lives up to his titular billing.
Preceded by short film The Shepherdess
Despite a fierce drought, a Navajo woman is determined to uphold her ancestors pastoral traditions by tending to her flock.