‘This is our reality’ – new film about farming to be released this week
9th April 2025
A new French film about family, farming and survival has struck a chord with British farmers, offering a rare and moving portrait of rural life that feels all too familiar.
Holy Cow, the debut feature from French director Louise Courvoisier, follows 18-year-old Totone (Clément Faveau), a fun-loving teenager in France’s Jura region whose world is suddenly turned upside down.
After a family tragedy, Totone finds himself responsible for his seven-year-old sister and the family’s struggling dairy farm. With everything at stake, he takes a leap of faith, entering a high-stakes regional competition to produce the region’s best Comté cheese and win a life-changing €30,000 prize.
Holy Cow draws heavily from Courvoisier’s own upbringing in the Jura. Using non-professional local actors, the film paints a vivid picture of modern farming, complete with its financial and emotional challenges, the producers said.
Ahead of its UK release this week, the film’s down-to-earth realism has resonated powerfully with Bryce Cunningham, a dairy farmer at Mossgiel Organic Farm in Ayrshire.
Bryce, who took over the family business after the loss of his father and grandfather, said that the film reflects the lived experience of countless farmers across the UK.
He explained: “It really highlights the relentless pressure from banks, the crushing debt, and the emotional toll on families. It’s a crucial narrative for anyone involved in modern farming.
“Losing a parent is hard enough. Losing your home and livelihood at the same time is devastating. This film gets it.”
‘This is our reality’
Bryce also hopes the film will help shine a light on the hidden mental health crisis facing British farmers.
He added: “This is our reality. Suicide rates in our industry are alarmingly high. Mental health is suffering. In the UK alone, 400 farms closed last year. That’s 400 families. That’s not just a statistic; it’s a crisis.”
Recent figures underscore the urgency of the issue. In 2023, the Office for National Statistics reported that 62 farmers died by suicide in England and Wales.
According to the RABI’s landmark 2021 Big Farming Survey, 36% of UK farmers report probable or possible depression, and nearly half experience ongoing anxiety. Only 12% of male farmers and 8% of women in the sector report good mental well-being.
Bryce continued: “I really hope people come and see this film, especially those who’ve never stepped foot on a farm, to see the reality of what young farmers face. This is where the milk in your local coffee shop flat white comes from.
“By buying local, supporting family farms over big dairy, you’re helping to change that reality. You’re keeping communities alive and getting better food in the process. Just like Totone’s Comté.”
‘Breakout hit’
Having wowed critics at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Un Certain Regard Special Youth Jury Prize, Holy Cow has since become a breakout hit in France, outperforming several Oscar winners and taking in over £5 million at the box office.
It has also scooped top accolades, including the César Award and Lumière Award for Best First Film, with breakout performances from leads Clément Faveau and Maïwène Barthèlemy earning national recognition.
It has been said that the film delivers an authentic slice of rural France, and although it tackles serious subjects, it is a heartfelt and joyful watch.
Time Out describes the film as “a moving and humorous coming-of-age story told with brio, avoiding the usual divots of social realism misery,” while Next Big Picture describes Courvoisier as “a passionate new voice in French cinema”—testaments to the film’s authenticity and Couvoisier’s talent.
Distributed by Glasgow-based distributor Conic, Holy Cow opens in cinemas across the UK and Ireland this Friday, 11th April. Find screenings here.
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