quotVeteran experimental filmmakers Danielle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub helmed this unusual adaptation of a novel by Elio Vittorini. Focused on the triumphs and failures of a group of laborers and farm hands who pooled their resources to operate an alternative collective farm after the end of World War II, Operai, Contadini features a cast of 12 actors who read aloud from Vittorini's book for the duration of the film, either reciting from memory or using a clearly visible script. Hardly designed to be a crowd pleaser, Operai, Contadini proved to be controversial among the audiences for its showings at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, where it was screened as part of the Directors' Fortnight series." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
"The group makes up a primitive community which seeks to erase not only the distress created by the war but also the hardships of life and hunger, and to protect them from violence, misery and fear. Amid the ruins of this post-war period, the characters build and invent a rapport
both in their professional and daily lives
between themselves, the sexes, generations, diverse social and geographical origins, and antagonistic political camps.
The group maintains a 'register', a kind of diary, as if it were entering the minutes of an inquiry or a trial." -Steve Grayson
"my favorite Straub-Huillet films are Too Early, Too Late and Operai, contadini (2001), both color landscape films with especially acute senses of place as well as of nature in all its harsh beauty." - Jonathan Rosenbaum
Loosely based on a real incident, 200: Halla Ho is the story of women, terrorised by a mobster whose gang raped, robbed, terrorised and murdered 300 families for 15 years until he met his nemesis in a young Dalit girl.（机翻:根据一件真实的事件改编，200:Hala Ho讲述了一个女人的故事，在15年的时间里，她被一名暴徒轮奸、抢劫、恐吓并杀害了300个家庭，直到他遇到了他的死对头一个年轻的贱民女孩。）Balli Chaudhary is a mobster, whose gang rapes, murders, robs and terrorises 300 families without any fear of law, for a period of 15 years. He takes special interest in using the rape threat to break and humiliate the Dalit community. He allegedly rapes over 40 women and children, gets arrested 14 times but is never sentenced, therefore he has no fear of law and randomly picks up any woman he fancies - irrespective of their age. The police refuse to help the Dalits and go on to sell out the complainants to Balli. His reign of terror continues till he meets his nemesis in a young and educated Dalit girl - Usha Narayane. She files and FIR against Balli, and when cornered by him and his gang, threatens to burn them down. This inspires the villagers to revolt against Balli and file 40 FIRs, however when all their hopes of getting justice vanish, the women of the basti decide to take matters into their own hands and make a fitting example out of Balli. The story of 200: Halla Ho, is loosely based on a real-life incident from Nagpur.机翻:Balli Chaudhary是一名暴徒，他在15年的时间里肆无忌惮地强奸、谋杀、抢劫和恐吓300个家庭。他对利用强奸威胁破坏和羞辱贱民社区特别感兴趣。据称，他强奸了40多名妇女和儿童，被捕14次，但从未被判刑，因此，他不惧怕法律，随意勾搭任何他喜欢的女人--无论她们的年龄如何。警察拒绝帮助达利特人，继续将申诉人出卖给Balli。他的恐怖统治一直持续下去，直到他遇到了他的死对头，一个受过良好教育的年轻贱民女孩--乌莎·纳拉扬。她冲向巴利，并逃跑，当他和他的团伙走投无路时，威胁要烧毁他们。这激发了村民对Balli的反抗，并提交了40份FIR，然而，当他们获得正义的所有希望化为泡影时，basti的妇女决定自己动手，并以Balli为榜样。200年的故事：Halla Ho，是松散地根据一个现实生活中的事件发生在那格浦尔）
