With the men off fighting in the trenches of WW1, the work on the farm is left to the women, the Guardians of the title, who tend the earth. The film’s tragedy, fiercely acted, unfolds on the home front sumptuously photographed by Caroline Champetier with her painterly and serene compositions of the women laboring in the fields and the changing seasons. “A rewarding and rich film, which offers a delicate and often troubling insight into the lives of those left behind by history” (BFI).

Nominated: César Awards, Best Cinematography / Screenplay / Actress – Lumière Awards, Best Cinematography – Prix Louis Delluc, Best Film – London & Munich Film Festivals, Best Film