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The final documentary in the trilogy, La Vie moderne (2008) turns toward questions of ageing, succession and the future of rural life. As farmers face retirement and the absence of successors, the film records a sense of transition and uncertainty. Bringing the trilogy to a close, La Vie moderne reflects on time passing and on the fragility of these rural existences within a rapidly changing society.
A 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.