Every day since 1987, Karen and Lennart have been contemplating the sky every three hours as part of their job as manual weather observers. Patagonia's documentary "The Last Observers" reveals the unique life of this Swedish couple.
It's a job that pays a pittance, but makes for a fantastic life. That's how Karen and Lennart describe their daily work as manual weather observers. While there were still hundreds of them scanning the Swedish skies with the naked eye in the 1980s, this couple, based near the Falsterbo lighthouse in Skåne County, are the last ones still working today. With a slow pace, superb images and few words, the film "The Last Observers" reveals the unlikely life of this pair who have been tirelessly observing the sky for 40 years, like a slow, discreet choreography in a world where everything is accelerating.
Today, technology has replaced these patient sentinels, but Karen and Lennart remain faithful to their post. Since 1987, they have made over 100,000 observations without ever deviating from their meticulous routine. Neither storm, nor illness, nor even the birth of their four children have disrupted this ritual, which has become a meditation on the passing of time, a silent tribute to the beauty of the present moment.
Unveiled by Patagonia and directed by Sweden's Maja K. Mikkelsen, who just happens to be Karen and Lennart's daughter, "The Last Observers" tells not only of the love that unites these two, but also of man's love for nature, as the couple share an incredible passion for the birds they tirelessly observe. "This poignant story reflects what Patagonia has stood for since its creation over 50 years ago," explains the brand. "The belief that nature is a source of lasting happiness and that real change happens when people are inspired by the best in our world."