In the bucolic English countryside, Stephen Hook runs the family dairy farm, Hook and Son, a lo-fi anomaly resisting a hi-fi world. Farming is a hard life and an even harder business, but Stephen and his family make it work by staying small and offering services like home delivery. And it’s not just a profession for Stephen: each cow has a name and is lovingly cared for, especially the farm’s resident “cover girl,” Ida. It becomes quite clear that Stephen’s unconventional and heartwarming friendship with his herd is what really enables the farm to survive.

Director Andy Heathcote and codirector Heike Bachelier offer a glimpse of an endangered way of life. Their quiet and subdued approach allows their subjects—both human and bovine—to captivate and charm the audience. In this age when life seemingly rushes by at breakneck speed, it’s nice to see that some people can still sustain a simpler existence. - R. W.