Synopsis
We spend a year filming the Swiss Schnydrig family and their 50 Blacknose sheep: from the birth of the lambs and migration to alpine pastures to the annual highlight: the Blacknose Beauty Contest.Fabienne and Kilian Schnydrig and their three children live 1400 metres high up in the village of Mund, in the Swiss canton of Valais. For generations, people in this region have bred a special type of sheep, the Valais Blacknose. The sheep have adapted to the rugged terrain of the Swiss Alps and lived in the area for many centuries. In the past, the Blacknose was reared for its meat and wool. Today, breeding is an ambitious hobby which the people of Valais pursue with exceptional passion. Hence their concern about the growing number of wolves in the region. Last year, over 300 sheep were killed. To protect their animals in the high mountain region, the Schnydrig family is erecting kilometre-long fences again this year and hiring a shepherd to stay on the alpine pasture all summer and round up the sheep at night to protect them against attacks from wolves. When the Blacknose sheep return to their shelters in the autumn, the best time of year begins for the breeders. At the week-long Shepherd Festival, everything revolves around the Blacknose sheep. The animals are washed, combed and smartened up for the annual beauty contest. This is also the time when villagers and their relatives come together to celebrate Valais traditions.
