PINE PLAINS — Wreaths were placed on the graves of 517 veterans on Saturday, Dec. 17, at Evergreen Cemetery in Pine Plains as part of the National Wreaths Across America Day.
This year marked the third year that wreaths were placed on veteran graves, according to organizer Carol Hart. In the first year of the program, 93 wreaths were placed by the local group.
“Now we are able to cover every veteran’s grave,” Hart said.
The ceremony began at noon with placement of wreaths to mark every branch of the military, followed by the placement of 45 wreaths on the markers of veterans from Dutchess County.
Gregg Pulver, R-19, chairman of the Dutchess County Legislature, addressed the gathering of nearly 100 people before everyone began the placement of wreaths on all the remaining graves.
Pulver said: “We need to teach not only our young people to remember and honor, but we need to teach all of us how to treat each other a little bit better. A little more friendship. And honor.”
“I want to thank Carol Hart, who came up with the idea as a way to remember and honor her son,” Pulver said, adding that she has “blown this thing out of the ballpark.”
It was a clear, sunny day and as participants recited the Pledge of Allegiance and listened to the singing of the “The Star-Spangled Banner,” one veteran, Avery Dietter, 95, of Ancramdale, watched from his car, all smiles. Midway through the speeches, another veteran looked up at the blue sky and noticed a bald eagle flying overhead.
Wreaths cover veterans’ graves in Pine Plains at Evergreen Cemetery on Saturday, Dec. 17, as part of National Wreaths Across America Day. Photo by John Coston
Michel Negreponte
“You know, I’ve never made a nature documentary,” Negreponte shared. “That’s not really my thing, but once I found myself in upstate New York during the pandemic, I made several short films about the environment, about the land around me. They were mini essays, meditations. One of them was about my dog. That kind of led me into this longer project, which I also call an essay film. I’d like to say it’s a personal essay film, and a meditation.”
Early in the film, with the background of a heartbeat as soundtrack, a quote comes across the screen explaining, “Cows are adagio. 65 to 75 beats per minute.” This deliberate slowing down of pace lends a quiet to the narrative and allows for profound reflections on themes of motherhood, community, and humanity’s place in the natural world. “I think that the subject matter and the cows asked for a particularly delicate and peaceful approach. That is their temperament and their pace, and I certainly appreciate the vibe they give out,” Negreponte added.
Filmed throughout 2022, the film is chronological, following the herd through an erratic winter and the seasons of birth and death.
“It’s a very organic process,” said Negreponte of his technique of editing while filming. “It’s a process that I’ve developed over many years of making films and it suits the way I work.”
Using one camera, long shots linger on the lumbering giants as they navigate harsh weather, calve their young, protect, fight, and play with one another. Negreponte filmed parts of his own body in moments, “breaking the fourth wall,” as he explained, a technique that adds to the intimacy.
Throughout the film, there are other clips interspersed that Negreponte calls, “archival sections,” though not all the footage is historical. There are images of Hitler juxtaposed with images of Ghandi. The hunting and eventual extinction of wild Buffalo in the American West, and images showing reverence for cows in ancient cultures. From the horrors of industrial farming and animal exploitation to the clear communication and collective consciousness present, “Herd” confronts the viewer with humanity’s capacity for both cruelty and compassion.
By inviting audiences to slow down and reconnect with the natural world, “Herd” serves as a timely reminder of the interconnectedness of all living beings.
Negreponte shared, “I can’t help but think that people may think twice about their eating habits. I certainly think we can do better and adjust our diets so we’re less cruel to the animals around us.”
The owners of the farm have decided that the cattle are now pets, due in large part to the effect that “Herd” has had on them. The cows will now be used primarily to fertilize the fields.
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