JIFF: The Most Precious of Cargoes

The Story

Australian Premiere*

“Likely to become a classic.” - Variety

“An indelible parable destined to be watched and shared by generations to come.” - Variety

“Michel Hazanavicius delivers a jewel of animation…poignant and profound.” - Cineuropa

“Exquisite” Indiewire

In a snow-blanketed rural village during WWII, a poor Polish woodcutter lives with his wife, who is unable to bear children. Their sheltered world is dramatically changed when one day, while walking in the woods, the wife discovers a baby in the snow.

The child has been thrown from a passing train heading for the prison camp at Auschwitz. Seeing the baby as a gift from God, the wife vows to raise it despite the resistance from her husband, and in the face of rising antisemitic sentiment from the local villagers. Her commitment reveals the very best and the worst in the hearts of men.

Filled with indelible imagery, this striking animated fable comes from the Oscar-winning director of The Artist. The film premiered in competition for the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival (the first animation to do so since Waltz with Bashir in 2008).

Festivals and Awards
Nominee - Palme d’Or (Best Film), Cannes Film Festival, 2024

^{*Australian Premiere excluding Melbourne}

Rating

CTC

Duration

81 min

Cast

Jean-Louis Trintignant, Dominique Blanc, Denis Podalydès, Grégory Gadebois

Director

Michel Hazanavicius