A man rehearses his argument in front of the mirror. He is due in court because his neighbors want to make him to do what everyone else does: mow his lawn. Seventy-nine-year-old Wolf Ruck has lived in the commuter city of Mississauga, Canada, for almost his entire life. Born in Germany, he once competed as a canoeist in the Canadian Olympic team. This led to an eventful life full of adventure: Ruck later became a cameraman, working on action films and documentaries.
His love of nature led him to let his garden grow wild. It became a haven for insects and birds. But Ruck’s neighbors saw things differently. They filed complaints, and the city came to mow the grass. But they had underestimated the stamina of the Olympic athlete.
In this compact film, director Amélie Hardy vividly conveys Ruck’s fighting spirit. She combines inventive camerawork with commentary from the elderly activist himself, creating a portrait of a passionate man standing up for his ideals. “A little chaos never hurt anyone. It’s in the tangled mess that life actually happens.”
Stills
