Holy Cow (Vingt Dieux), director and writer Louise Courvoisier’s first feature film is a tribute to the French countryside, in particular the Jura region.
Holy Cow premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2024, winning the prestigious Prix de la Jeunesse before being released in France in December 2024. The film made its Australian debut at the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025 earlier this year, and was released in Australian cinemas last week. It also won the Best First Film prize at the César 2025 (beating Les Fantômes, Un P’tit truc en plus, Diamant Brut and Le Royaume).
The protagonist 18 year old Totone (Clément Faveau) is forced to grow up quickly when his father dies and he becomes the sole guardian for his 7 year old sister Claire (Luna Garret). Hearing about a lucrative cheese prize, he decides that he will throw himself into the world of cheesemaking with his eyes firmly on that prize. Cheesemaking demands time and patience – traits Totone must quickly adopt.
There is no explanation of what happened to their mother, nor whether government services would normally become involved. Similarly, there is little grief for the death of their father shown in the film, which was striking. Surely the loss of one parent doesn’t mean you don’t mourn the loss of the second.
Without wanting to give too much away, the cheese competition part of the storyline ends abruptly and is not spoken of again. This is no doubt an intentional part of the narrative but feels a little disjointed.
The cast are largely comprised of non-professional actors, many of whom had no acting experience prior to being in Holy Cow. This adds to the authenticity but also demonstrates that some of them have some acting talents that Courvoisier has uncovered. You wouldn’t know when watching the film that they were not actors prior to it, such as the authenticity with which they portrayed their roles. Maïwène Barthèlemy, who plays Marie-Lise, a young dairy farmer, was discovered at the local agricultural school. She went on to win the César for Best Female Revelation for her role in the film – also in contention were Megan Northam for Rabia, Souheila Yacoub for Planète B, Malou Khebizi for Diamant Brut and Mallory Wanecque for L’Amour Ouf (Beating Hearts).
In Courvoisier’s love letter to the Jura, one of the enduring images is Totone on his motorbike winding through the rural roads with a huge wheel of cheese strapped on his back. Holy Cow is shot mostly using natural light and it opens with long sweeping shots of the countryside firmly setting the scene.
Courvoisier’s tale could have made for a depressing film but it is far from it. Instead of a film about the harshness of country life and being forced to become an adult overnight, Courvoisier has crafted a tribute to the Jura region. It’s also an homage to young mateship, with Totone’s mates stepping up to help him in his cheesemaking quest. Where many coming-of-age stories bow to fairytale triumphs, Holy Cow quietly celebrates perseverance and loyalty in the churn of hardship. In an American version, Totone would inevitably win the contest, win the girl, and tie everything with a ribbon. But Courvoisier resists easy payoffs, favouring realism over fairytale resolutions.
Holy Cow showcases an unpolished slice of rural life, elevated all the more by director Louise Courvoisier’s trust in her largely untested cast. The performances, especially from Clément Faveau and Maïwène Barthèlemy, are as natural as the film’s landscapes, imbuing the story with lived-in warmth rather than high drama.
Holy Cow is ultimately content to offer a gentle, unhurried tale that lingers through its small, genuine moments. It may not deliver grand payoffs or leave you with a triumphant aftertaste, but for those willing to savour its subtleties, this film proves that authenticity and a little bit of local flavour can be a winning recipe, even if it’s less about a show-stopping Brie and more about quietly maturing like a wheel of Comté on the shelf.
4 CROISSANTS
Matilda Marseillaise watched a screener of the film.
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