Holy Cow (Vingt Deux)

Two people sit outdoors on a large metal container in front of a rustic building. One wears a red T-shirt and gray shorts with hair in a bun; the other wears a green shirt and blue pants, holding a cigarette. Trees and bushes frame the quiet rural setting

18-year-old Totone spends most of his time drinking beers and partying in the Jura region with his group of friends. But reality catches up with him after the tragic death of his father. Totone is thrust into the unexpected and very adult role of looking after his younger sister and their failing family farm in the Jura section of France. Desperate to find a way to make a living, he sets out to make the best Comté cheese in the region, the one that would win him the gold medal at the agricultural competition and 30,000 euros.

A “verité” look at the hardscrabble life of French agriculture, this debut feature from Louise Courvoisier is simultaneously a moving coming of age story and an ode to the love of cheese.

Winner of the Youth Award (Un Certain Regard) at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival

Our annual French Film Festival is supported by Albertine Cinémathèque and presented in collaboration with the Department of Romance Studies.

Albertine Cinémathèque is part of the French For All initiative by Villa Albertine – The French Institute for Culture and Education, and Albertine Foundation, and is made possible with the support from the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC).

Part of our "French Film Festival" and "New Visions, New Voices" series. Courtesy of Zeitgeist Films.