Raúl Capdevila Murillo’s debut documentary follows the director’s journey back to his farming family, whose way of life is newly endangered

Raúl Capdevila Murillo’s debut documentary has all of the components of a thrilling retro western. Set to a rousing score, the opening titles feature giant letters in bold yellow, splattering over the horizon of a dusty landscape. Then we get the return of the prodigal son, fresh from the hubbub of the so-called civilised big city. The son is, in fact, Capdevila Murillo himself, and instead of gunfight, Los Saldos – or Remainders – is about a different kind of struggle, that of the film-maker’s own family, farmers unsettled by industrial changes.

Shot in widescreen, the film lends a majestic quality to ordinary life in Binéfar, north-eastern Spain. We observe José Ramón, the director’s father, on his daily rounds, driving around in his pickup truck, tending to his crops and animals. The rhythm is slow and languid; even the mere discussion of a new water tank results in protracted discussion between José Ramón and his neighbours who, like him, are the remnants of a vanishing line of work. Meanwhile, a major meat-product company is planning a macro abattoir in the area. The news lingers in the air like a bad smell, as news reports and political discussions unspool on radio and TV.