How to Lease a Cow

For the first time, Vreni leases a cow to someone from the city outside of her once-thriving farming village of Guttannen, Switzerland. This documentary explores how the alpine community has adapted to economic changes, focusing on the impact of the hydropower industry on the village’s 500-year-old communal farming system. Historically, everyone in Guttannen relied on farming. However, the arrival of the regional hydropower company disrupted this way of life and the village’s farming identity. 

The film examines the effects of hydro energy on rural communities, uncovering the loss of a 500-year-old farming system. As part of their inquiry, urban filmmakers lease a cow to engage with alpine life.

[Livni Holtz, Sebastian Reinicke, Nicolas Seiler, Director]​