For the first time, Vreni leases a cow to someone outside her once thriving farming village of Guttannen, Switzerland. This ethnographic documentary explores how the alpine community has adapted to economic changes, focusing on the impact of the hydropower industry on the village’s 500-year-old communal farming culture. Historically, everyone in Guttannen owned cattle and relied on farming. However, the arrival of the regional hydro-power company disrupted this way of life, eroding the village’s farming identity. ‘How to Lease a Cow’ delves into the effects of energy infrastructure on rural communities.