Michel Hazanavicius’ ‘The Most Precious Of Cargoes’ World Premiere Gets 10-Minute Ovation – Cannes Film Festival

The Artist Oscar winner Michel Hazanavicius returned to the Cannes Competition this evening with animated fairy tale feature The Most Precious of Cargoes. The warm applause for the film inside the Grand Théatre Lumière went on for 10 minutes.

Coming in at a tight 81 minutes, it’s the final Competition film to premiere this year.

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The voice cast includes the late Jean-Louis Trintignant, Grégory Gadebois, Dominique Blanc and Denis Podalydès.

Hazanavicius wrote the script for The Most Precious of Cargoes, which is based on the novel by Jean-Claude Grumberg. The story centers on a poor woodcutter and his wife who, once upon a time, lived in a great forest. Cold, hunger, poverty and a war raging all around them meant their lives were very hard.

One day, the woodcutter’s wife rescues a baby girl thrown from one of the many trains that constantly pass through the forest.

This baby, this “most precious of cargoes,” will transform the lives of the poor woodcutter’s wife and her husband, as well as those whose paths the child will cross – including the man who threw her from the train. And some will try to protect her, whatever the cost.

Producers are Hazanavicius, Florence Gastaud, Robert Guédiguian, Riad Sattouf and Patrick Sobelman. The Dardenne brothers, Jean-Pierre and Luc, are co-producers. Studiocanal will release in France in November and is handling international sales.

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