American Yodel

American Yodel is a funny and moving documentary road trip, following in the footsteps of the Anabaptists who fled Europe, particularly Switzerland, from the late 17th century onward. Aboard a big black Jeep (the American road-trip spirit obliges), Tristan (journalist), Fanny (director of photography), and their guide Jacques (author and Amish specialist) travel through the Midwest and Pennsylvania to meet these descendants, some of whom still hold a deep attachment to the land of their ancestors. The cheerful trio begins their journey in the town of Berne, Indiana, founded by Mennonites (one branch of the Anabaptists). That day marks the start of Swiss Days, a large festival celebrating Swiss heritage. Red flags with white crosses, alphorns, and even pickles that yodel… the journey gets off to a colorful start. But behind all this good cheer lies a tragic history of persecuted communities, forced to flee their homeland and cross the Atlantic in search of a better life. What remains of this past among the Mennonites and the Amish, also Anabaptists, whose founder Jakob Amann was from Bern? These highly conservative communities, reluctant to embrace technology and largely closed off from the outside world, are not easy to approach. But that’s without counting on Jacques Légeret. The 83-year-old expert, with his free spirit and playful humor, is likely one of the only Swiss people to have access to Amish families. Thanks to him, Fanny and Tristan will discover the lifestyle and culture of people who still speak an old dialect rooted in their German, Alsatian, and Swiss origins: Pennsylvania Dutch. Over the course of this journey, the trio will grow closer, and Fanny and Tristan will uncover Jacques’s own story. Behind his wit and playful remarks, the seasoned adventurer carries a deep loss: that of his son. If he became a specialist in Anabaptists and gained entry into Amish farms, it was thanks to David. And if Jacques found the strength to undertake this journey, it may be above all to pay tribute to him.