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Walter Bencini’s beautifully shot documentary, a love song to the Maremma region of Italy, profiles the
butteri, or cowboys, who work on one of the last ranches that breeds cattle and horses in the wild. Shot over the changing seasons in an area that stretches between southern Tuscany and northern Lazio, the film chronicles the lives of these amiable weather-beaten wranglers, their synchronicity with the rhythms of the land, and their relationship with the animals they steward. From the veteran cowpoke who doesn’t want to be known as one of the last of a breed, to the young men who are learning the trade and wondering if there is enough money in riding the range to support a family,
The Last Cowboys celebrates the camaraderie of this rugged band. For anyone who loves the Tuscan countryside or simply seeks escape from everyday office routine, this film’s exquisite lensing provides a close-up of sweeping vistas of the Tyrrhenian Sea, bucolic shots of cows (and the cowboys reciting their names), and a unique perspective on how an organic, free-range ranch carries out Italy’s slow food traditions.