Directed by Louise Courvoisier, this satisfying import combines a peek into ancient dairy processes with a time-tested tale of belated maturity and growing up.

Vouching for genuine solidarity and not empty gestures, writer-director Louise Courvoisier's first feature "Holy Cow," a vivacious coming-of-ager set amid dairy farms in the French countryside, ...

Holy Cow is rooted in Jura, the rural eastern department where the director, a part-time farmer, grew up. Terroir plays as vital a role in Courvoisier’s drama as it does in the wines produced there.

Late in “Holy Cow,” after Totone and Jean-Yves have a falling out, the former still runs to his friend’s rescue during a crucial competition. No words are exchanged, but the loyalty they ...