VEDETTE
MUST END THURSDAY, JUNE 30
12:20 2:30 4:40 6:50 9:00
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY CLAUDINE BORIES AND PATRICE CHAGNARD
Who didn’t grow up loving Ferdinand*, the bull who just wanted to smell the flowers and who refused to fight? Vedette, on the other hand, is a Swiss Hérens cow, an aggressive breed whose females compete by locking horns (no damage is done) and who has been Queen of some spectacularly beautiful Alpine pastures her entire life. The Queen grazes on the best grass and is hand-fed loaves of bread by Elise and Nicole, two women who have doted upon her for a lifetime. But now Vedette is old; and they are confronted by the kinds of existential issues we all face at the fading of the light. Reading Descartes to their beloved cow and playing music by Bizet and Mozart all figure into the equation. Anyone who has ever lived with an animal will be drawn to Vedette’s awesome presence and innate dignity and will empathize with the people who adore her.
*The Story of Ferdinand (1936) by Munro Leaf
2021 100 MIN. FRANCE IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
Reviews
“HITS THE HEART. Follows a spunky cow through her golden years in the Swiss Alps… The queen of her herd, Vedette reigns supreme with strength, subtle humor and emotion… She encounters old age with frustration, joy, toughness, and humor, and she also happens to be a cow.”
– Lacey Reeves, Vox Magazine