HOLY COW

(Vingt Dieux)

CINEMA COMPETITION
FRENCH NEWAVE 2.0
TRUFFAUT THEATRE
Drama / Coming of Age

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30
10:35 pm

Presented in association with:
Pyramide International
Zeitgeist Films
France Télévisions
Women In Film

Directed by: Louise Courvoisier
Written by: Louise Courvoisier, Théo Abadie
Produced by: Murielle Meynard (Agat Films – Ex Nihilo)
Cinematography: Elio Balézeaux
Film Editing: Sarah Grosset
Original Score: Charlie Lavoisier, Linda Lavoisier
Cast: Clément Faveau (Totone), Luna Garret (Claire), Mathis Bernard (Jean-Yves), Dimitry Baudry (Francis), Maïwène Barthelemy (Marie-Lise)
International Sales: Pyramide International
US Distributor: Zeitgeist Films in Association With Kino Lorber
US Release date: 2025

Scrappy 18-year-old Totone is as irresponsible as they come, partying all night and sleeping it off all day. So his father’s sudden death is like a splash of cold water across his face, thrusting him into adulthood without warning. Now forced to care for his little sister, tend the failing family farm and somehow make a living, he decides that his magical “big fix” will come by winning a gold medal for the best Comté cheese at the next agricultural competition… and collecting the €30,000 grand prize. But attaining discipline, not to mention culinary excellence, is not nearly as easy as he thinks. It’s a little like his best buddy’s beloved stock car racing — sometimes you have to take a tumble or two before you can move forward. Louise Courvoisier‘s coming-of-age first feature, Holy Cow, illustrates that bumpy path to maturity in minute, heartfelt detail.

Born in 1994, writer-director Louise Courvoisier grew up in the Jura region of France, before studying filmmaking at the Cinéfabrique in Lyon. Her student film, Mano a Mano (2018) won the Cinéfondation Award in Cannes in 2019. That was followed by a second short, La Jarretière (2019). Cast entirely with nonprofessional actors and shot in the director’s native Jura, Holy Cow, her first feature, premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it was honored with the Youth Award. It is presented at TAFFF prior to both its French and American releases.