Vingt Dieux
When 18-year-old Totone needs money for his sister, he enters a Comté cheese contest that could win him 30,000 euros. Touching coming-of-age film set against the picturesque backdrop of France’s Jura region.
Totone spends most of his time drinking beers and partying in the Jura region with his group of friends. But reality catches up with him: after a devastating tragedy he suddenly has to take care of his seven-year-old sister and find a way to make a living. Totone comes up with a plan to follow in his family’s cheesemaking footsteps and win the gold medal in the agricultural competition – even though he has no idea of where to start.
With an unfiltered realism, this debut features heartfelt performances by non-professional actors and real farmers, bringing raw authenticity to Courvoisier’s first feature film. Shot on location in the countryside of the director’s childhood, Vingt Dieux is a beautiful ode to neorealist classics made fresh for modern audiences. The film won two Césars (the French Oscars), including one for the best first film. (bw)