About Killing the Pig (2011)

I think the English version of the title is a little misleading here, and certainly ought not to put folks off. What Simone Massi does present us with is a richly drawn selection of detailed monochrome illustrations of rural life. A young son, his mother, some red shoelaces, an appreciation of rustic farming landscapes and a glorious looking grouse all feature strikingly. This has a bleakness to it, but also a sensitive degree of warmth as, for me at any rate, it emphasised the vulnerabilities of the cycle of life. It flickers through five minutes quite compellingly.