
Courtesy of Cohen Media Group.
Slow, quiet and only briefly explained, Rams (Sunday, April 17, 7 pm) would not appear to be a wildly captivating tale. Yet, Grímur Hákonarson’s story of two feuding brothers in Iceland is entrancing in every way. The film draws in the senses through the austere beauty of Iceland, and Hákonarson perfectly captures the intricate simplicities of their herding lives. Rams is a departure from mainstream filmmaking in that it never forces its outcomes upon the audience. The progression of its story feels as natural as the progression of an Icelandic afternoon. We are able to experience the lives of others in a way movies often do not allow us to.

Courtesy of Cohen Media Group.
Rams follows two brothers, both sheep herders, who have reached an impassible feud and will not talk with one another. The brothers face each other in a livestock competition, and gradually get closer thanks to the strangest of circumstances. The brilliance of Rams is its rhythm. The methodical hum of its occupants, its landscapes, the homes, the sky and the sheep hypnotically draw you into the world of Kiddi and Gummi, the two brothers. The film won at Cannes, as well as dozens of other film festivals, and should not be missed. Allow Rams to absorb you, and start to understand what it means to exist, no matter what the pace.

Courtesy of Cohen Media Group.
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