It’s not daily {that a} movie can actually declare to indicate you one thing that you just’ve by no means seen earlier than, however it feels protected to imagine that almost all of people that watch “To Maintain a Mountain” have by no means thought in regards to the Sinjajevina mountain in Montenegroa lot much less seen it with their very own eyes. The alpine pastureland is residence to herds of goats and cows and small households of shepherds who’ve labored the land for lifetimes. The skyline is crammed with rocky plateaus, tranquil meadows, and 4 seasons of local weather that vary from blissful springs to harsh winters.
It appears like a land that point forgot, and Gara want to preserve it that means. The growing old shepherd enjoys a easy, dignified life, making cheese and watching the seasons change, whereas passing on any knowledge she will be able to to her teenage daughter, Nada. The connection between these two girls types the inspiration of “To Maintain a Mountain,” Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić’s new movie that gained the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize on the 2026 Sundance Movie Competition. The movie begins as a portrait of untapped nature earlier than turning right into a miserable reminder of how rapidly and aggressively the fashionable world comes for the corners of this planet which have up to now resisted destruction.
Gara learns that NATO plans to construct a navy coaching floor on Sinjajevina, which might completely disrupt the ecosystem and the subsistence financial system surrounding it. Scarred by previous experiences of loss and decided to make sure that future generations take pleasure in the identical entry to the land that she did, she regularly begins organizing her fellow shepherds in a resistance towards the bottom. The movie turns into a name for preservation, following Gara as she fights to maintain her distinctive little place on the planet out of the palms of a navy group that might arrange store wherever else. Her admirable conservation efforts dovetail with Nada’s coming-of-age, because the younger woman understandably begins to dream of larger issues at the same time as her mom does every part in her energy to maintain their world charmingly small.
The intersection of generations is a key theme within the movie, and the connection between Gara and Nada is refreshingly nuanced. Gara doesn’t resent her daughter’s inevitable urge to unfold her wings, merely hoping that she’ll ultimately need to go to the land once more (and that the land will probably be there for her to go to when she does). Nada is a woman of few phrases, however she clearly returns the respect as they share an unstated intimacy that comes from residing with little greater than one another for over a decade.
That intimacy is likely one of the strongest components of “To Maintain a Mountain,” as Tutorov and Glomazić seize quiet moments that appear virtually voyeuristic (regardless of being utterly healthful) due to how naturalistic they’re. Every shot consists with intention and magnificence, and editor George Cragg demonstrates a eager understanding of which moments advantage lengthy, unbroken takes and when cuts are mandatory. It’s a pleasure to look at the surroundings change with the seasons, and pictures like a snow-covered cabin or a useless cow slowly being consumed by flies include greater than sufficient symbolism to fill the silence.
There’s one thing ironic about docking a movie dedicated to the preservation of subsistence herding for its lack of ambition, however the noble objectives of “To Maintain A Mountain” don’t present a lot in the best way of narrative or philosophical heft. It’s considerably satisfying as each a journey documentary about a spot few of us are prone to ever go to and a well-intentioned reminder that not every part must be modernized, however it doesn’t do a lot to transcend the sum of its components. Nevertheless it portrays Sinjajevina precisely as Gara probably desires it to be seen — making certain that her dream of passing these lands on to future generations will partially come true it doesn’t matter what the navy does subsequent.
Grade: C+
“To Maintain a Mountain” premiered on the 2026 Sundance Movie Competition. It’s at the moment looking for U.S. distribution.
Wish to keep updated on IndieWire’s movie critiques and important ideas? Subscribe right here to our newly launched publication, In Evaluation by David Ehrlich, through which our Chief Movie Critic and Head Evaluations Editor rounds up one of the best new critiques and streaming picks together with some unique musings — all solely out there to subscribers.