• The meaning of life

The Head in the Stars

  • Sylvain Vincendeau
  • 2005
  • France

Synopsis :

A man is unable to see the stars from the window in his building. So he decides to set off into the wild in search of somewhere more tranquil. There he finds pure, simple happiness and can enjoy observing the heavens. He is truly content. But one day, a couple moves in beside him. Then along comes another one …

Benshi's review :

The sky, stars and nature … such simple things and yet so wonderful that everyone should be able to admire them. In this film, the lights of the city stop our little hero from being able to see the stars in the sky. So he escapes to a hilltop where he can at last gaze at the star-lit firmament, with his feet on the soft grass and nature’s glow on his skin. His only neighbours are ants and bees … and he is perfectly happy. One day, a couple arrives and settles down near him. Then more people come and build their houses on the hill, which is slowly transformed into a city just like the one he fled. The stars disappear again. The pattern is repeated, and our character decides it’s time to go away again. This film is an ode to contemplation and the simple life free of material things, and it is also a condemnation of the way people continually push nature a little farther away to cram everyone into vast metropolises. Doesn’t urban sprawl come at the cost of some basic need? That’s the question posed by this short film … which inspires viewers to want to go for a barefoot walk on grass!

Suitable for :

For ages 4 and over

Top reasons to watch the film :

  1. Because the happiness of the character when renewing his relationship with nature is contagious!
  2. An alternative view of the urban way of life
  3. The music will leave you feeling sky-high
  4. The homage to the simple life
  • Keywords :

  • Nature
  • Loneliness