Like tumbleweed, the seasonal labourers in Giulia Angrisani and Mattia Petullà’s contemplative documentary roam from one European farm to another, their nomadic life attached to the rhythm of harvest seasons. While the film opens with the exhausting drudgery of field work, it soon shifts its focus to moments of rest, revealing the community and camaraderie among those who are rootless.

Living in cramped conditions, in either ramshackle caravans or makeshift tents, Cecilia, Armelle, Gibbo, and Sisco lean on one another for emotional support. When not toiling under harsh weather conditions, the four cook, sing or simply relax together. From time to time, new members join this found family, where different languages – English, Italian, French, Spanish – flow in harmony. Considering that farm bosses provide little help in terms of accommodation or basic necessities, their acts of care provide a haven from the precariousness of seasonal work.

As the film plunges us into the intimacy of these highly specific environments, it is rather difficult to follow the threads of established relationships. Consequently, while we get to see the subjects in the present, their background stories and their motivations for following such a difficult line of work are somewhat opaque. There is also little information about pay or contracts, if indeed there are any written agreements. As a result, the viewing experience can be disorienting; the striking cinematography, however, seems to offer an explanation. From the verdant hills that stretch across the horizon to streams under the summer sun, these open landscapes bristle with a sense of freedom, prevailing over the hardships of a life lived on the fringes.

● Terra in Vista is on True Story from 28 March.