Film > World Cinema - Classic

A sprawling saga of peasant life in late nineteenth century Italy, Tree of Wooden Clogs won the Grand Prize at Cannes in 1978 and stands as a masterpiece of Italian cinema. Set over four seasons, this harrowing yet beautiful film is the story of three communal farming families struggling to survive in the face of poverty, and the heavy taxing of their harvest by a wealthy, faceless landlord. On the advice of a local priest, one family makes a great sacrifice by sending their gifted son to school. But when the son's prized wooden clogs break, and he can no longer travel to class, the father takes a big risk by seeking replacement wood in the grove of his vindictive landlord. Written, directed, photographed and edited by the great Ermanno Olmi (Il Posto), The Tree of Wooden Clogs won numerous international awards and established Olmi as one of Italy’s finest post-war filmmakers.