Hyde Park Pick: Holy Cow

Holy Cow is incredibly popular in its home country, France. It has outperformed most Oscar titles there. My hope is that it will be equally popular here when it comes out this Friday and that people love it as much as I did.

This coming-of-age cheesemaking film’s most lovable feature, for me, is the heartwarming relationship between an older brother, Totone, and his younger sister, Claire. It’s also really lovely seeing Totone’s friends taking a break from their beer-drinking, girl-chasing and car-racing to lovingly care for Claire as if she was their own little sister.

Although the reason for Totone needing to fulfil a parent role is a sad one, the film is full of warmth.

Writer-director Louise Courvoisier grew up with parents who were farmers in France’s eastern Jura region where the film is set. This partly explains why her representation of life on farms in the area feels so realistic. She’s familiar with farm work and when she’s not filmmaking, she’s working on her family’s farm.

The cast is comprised of non-professionals who fit their roles perfectly and with great authenticity. For example, lead actor Clément Faveau works on a poultry farm in real life. The director was determined to find the right people to play the roles in her story. Faveau initially refused the role, but Courvoisier kept asking until he accepted because she knew he was the right person to play Totone. She said the “mixture of violence and fragility that was written on his face, in his eyes, was exactly what I was looking for”. Totone’s personality with his finely balanced bravado and vulnerability is what gives the film so much life and vibrancy.

The soundtrack is excellent and Courvoisier’s family are to thank as it was created by one of her brothers and her parents, who were touring baroque musicians before they were farmers.

Holy Cow’s cinematography is glorious and shows both glowing summer evenings where everything is golden and picturesque as well as grittier calf births – blood, muck and all. Bucolic shots of French fields and Totone on a motorbike with a massive wheel of Comté cheese strapped to his back are best appreciated on the big screen so don’t miss it while it’s showing at the cinema!

The film represents a very specific region of France which is known for Comté-making, however the boredom and frustration of teenage life in such a small rural setting is universal. Courvoisier’s window into this experience is incredibly convincing, enchanting and full of heart both within the film and behind the scenes.

Holy Cow is showing daily at HPPH from Fri 11 Apr. You can book tickets here.

We may not be in the award-winning Comté-making region of Jura, but we're very lucky to have some wonderful independent cheese shops in Leeds who are partnering with us on this film: George & Joseph, Metz Cheesemongers and The Cheesy Living Co. The lovely people at these cheese shops are offering HPPH customers 10% off in their shops when you show your Holy Cow ticket.  Please show them your love and support!