These Encounters of Theirs

The musings of the gods are brought to the earthly realms of contemporary rural Italy in Straub and Huillet’s re-creation of Cesare Pavese’s 1947 book Dialogues with Leucò. The last feature-length collaboration between the duo before Huillet’s passing in 2006, These Encounters restages in a sun-dappled Tuscan countryside five of Pavese’s scenes involving the gods discussing human destiny; these immortals are here voiced not by professional actors, but rather a rope maker, a postmaster, a farmer, and more. The texts—and, miraculously, the film’s images of luxuriant nature—provide a reminder that even within our mortal realms, joys can still be found.