Holy Cow – The Cheese Rises to the Top
Written by Dr. Zoe Crombie
Perhaps more so than any other art form, film has a fantastic ability to preserve the feeling of a particular time and place. Although this is usually put into action for metropolises like New York and London and sites of widely known historical importance, it’s arguably more interesting when pointed toward the idiosyncrasies of a lesser-known locale. This is proven by Louise Courvoisier with her first ever directed feature, which immortalises modern life in Eastern France with the sensory approach that cinema excels in providing.
Holy Cow – also known by its French title Vingt Dieux, an old-timey interjection – had its premiere at Cannes last year, receiving widespread acclaim nearly unheard of for a debut feature. Starring Clément Faveau as Totone, a laddish 18-year-old looking to take over his father’s dairy farm and win a cheesemaking competition. Lovingly depicting Jura, a department of Eastern France close to Courvoisier’s heart, while not shying away from the realities of rural farm life, the film strikes a deft balance between the squalor and the beauty of country living.
A sweet coming of age story with a unique premise, Holy Cow is a portrait of its home region that proves the power of cinema to make any viewer feel like a local.
Catch it at the Dukes on Friday the 16th and Saturday the 17th of May.
