The Most Precious of Cargoes

Synopsis

Once upon a time, a poor woodcutter and his wife 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. 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.

Their story will reveal the worst and the best in the hearts of men.

About the Director

Michel Hazanavicius, born in Paris in 1967, began his career in 1988 on Canal+ with the comedy group Les Nuls. He co-directed LA CLASSE AMÉRICAINE (1993) and later wrote DELPHINE 1 – YVAN 0 (1994). After directing MES AMIS (1999) and award-winning commercials, he gained recognition with OSS 117: CAIRO, NEST OF SPIES (2006) and its sequel OSS 117: LOST IN RIO (2009).

His international breakthrough came with THE ARTIST (2011), a silent black-and-white film that won five Oscars. He then directed THE SEARCH (2014) and GODARD MON AMOUR (2017), and founded the production company Les Compagnons du Cinéma.

He later directed THE LOST PRINCE (2020) and FINAL CUT (2022), which opened the Cannes Film Festival out of competition. Chairman of La Fémis since 2019, he has also chaired the Sarajevo Film Festival jury. In 2024, he presented his first animated feature, THE MOST PRECIOUS OF CARGOES, at Cannes.

Festivals, Screenings, & Awards

Cesar Awards – Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Animated Feature (Nominee)

Cannes Film Festival (2024) – World Premiere, In Competition

Annecy International Animation Film Festival

Two Riversides Film and Art Festival

Deauville Festival