One Man and his Cow 2016

Fatsah Bouyahmed plays Fatah, a modest, cheerful and optimistic Algerian farmer who has never left his country and dreams of taking his cow Jacqueline to the Paris International Agricultural Show.

When a letter arrives inviting him to participate in the Paris show, he must borrow money from all the men of his village to fund the journey. He leaves his wife Naïma and his two daughters and boards a boat to Marseille with his cow, hoping to begin a voyage that could rewrite his life.

Yet the voyage quickly grows tougher: after spending all his money to cross the Mediterranean, he is forced to walk across France toward Paris. What unfolds is a sequence of encounters, from a slightly inebriated village fair to a visit with a bankrupt count who offers shelter, and a violent demonstration that tests his resolve. At one point he is separated from Jacqueline and even ends up in jail before the journey resumes.

Back home, the village follows every step. The tale catches the attention of the press and soon he and the cow become instant sensations on social media, drawing both admiration and mockery as their perseverance is shared online.

Despite the dangers and setbacks, Fatah keeps moving. He aims to reach the show in time to enter Jacqueline into the contest for the most beautiful Tarentaise cow, a goal that keeps his spirits up as the journey unfolds.