The Fable
(The Fable)

With an astounding sequence shot, The Fable flings us into the marvellous, like an eagle taking off from its nest. On these sublime lands, a sprawling orchard at the foot of the Himalayas tended by the family who inherited it, magic seems to inhabit the undergrowth and daily life alongside a natural world that may not be so indifferent – as ultimately perhaps anyone could own it? The mysterious combustion of one tree then five, the wildfires everywhere bursting into flame, brings to the surface the historical bedrock of the place in an allegory reminiscent of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, of a fairyland, and perhaps of Pasolini’s fireflies believed to have disappeared all too soon. Between detachment from the soil and attachment to the earth, The Fable is filmed admirably and holds to the plan of its title: a story that puts you to sleep, with your eyes open wide. AR