A sunlit field provides a filmic take on pastoral impressionist painting in director Fabienne Berthaud’s visual collage devoted to the bucolic origins of Hennessy Fine de Cognac. Set in the idyllic countryside of western France, the filmmaker brings what she describes as her own brand of “cinematic magic realism” to this sensual take that mirrors the process behind the making and sipping of the cognac itself, starting with the vineyards and ending in the glass. The result uncovers a completely new way to experience the drink, emphasizing the fruits, flowers and subtle ageing that go into the creation of the iconic elixir. The nature-infused style typifies Berthaud’s lauded approach to filmmaking, which has included the 2010 film Lily Sometimes (Pieds Nus Sur Les Limaces), a Cannes Art Cinema Award-winning feature starring Diane Kruger. “I wanted to make an organic, sensory film that felt close to the elements and what nature represents,” explains Berthaud. “I wanted to convey the delicacy, the details and the subtlety of spring.”