Hull Independent Cinema: Holy Cow

After the tragic death of his father, 18 year old Totone’s carefree life of drinking and partying is upended as he is thrust into the unexpected and very adult role of looking after his younger sister and their failing family farm in the beautiful Jura region of France. Struggling for income, he hears about the cash that can be won from competitions for making the local Comté cheese. Unable to afford good quality milk, he embarks on a scheme to steal some from a neighbouring farm, pitching him into a rollercoaster relationship with the young woman who owns it.

Starring Clément Faveau, Maïwene Barthelemy

AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
Cannes: Winner, Un Certain Regard Youth Prize; Nominee, Un Certain Regard, Golden Camera
French Academy Awards (Césars): Nominee, Best First Film, Best Screenplay, Best Music, Most Promising Actress
Lumiere Awards: Winner, Best First Film, Most Promising Actor; Nominee, Most Promising Actress
India Int’l Film Fest: Winner, Best Actor; Nominee, Best Film

REVIEWS
“Lovingly shot in warm natural light, and accompanied by a gentle, lilting soundtrack, Holy Cow is shot through with compassion for its rascally yet vulnerable protagonist.” Lee Marshall, Screen International

“The action is pacy but that doesn’t mean it skims the surface. All the characters have depth … An earthy mix of adventure romp and coming of age experiences, Courvoisier’s film is ripe with feeling.” ★★★★ Amber Wilkinson, Eye for Film

“With her refusal to overdramatize conflicts and constant focus on the movie’s central character, Courvoisier delivers such mature work that it’s astonishing to think that this is her feature debut.” Serena Seghedoni, Loud and Clear Reviews

“The instincts on display [from Courvoisier] are excellent. For a feature debut, Holy Cow is quite the statement.” Alan French, Sunshine State Cineplex