Shawaks

The Shawaks are a nomadic tribe in eastern Turkey. In the winter, they live in stone houses in a village, and in the spring, when the lambs are born, they take their livestock up to higher pasture in the mountains. An entire herd of sheep and goats, along with pack animals, dogs and entire families, are packed into rented trucks and unloaded at the foot of the mountains. What follows is a brutal hike uphill. The mules are heavily packed. They slip in the snow and regularly run the risk of collapsing under their hefty loads. High up, the Shawaks pitch the tents in which they and their families will spend the summer. The women make cheese, which they sell to merchants. Filmmaker Kazim Öz accompanied the Shawaks for a whole year. He observes man and animal from up close, without asking questions or adding comment. But the filmmaker isn't completely invisible; sometimes his subjects address him directly, telling him things about their lives in a strikingly confidential way. This produces an intimate depiction of a group of people who have to work very hard to eke out a humble living.