The Most Precious of Cargoes
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Screening as part of the 2025 Central Florida Jewish Film Festival.
In a snow-blanketed rural village during WWII, a poor Polish woodcutter lives with his wife, who is unable to bear children. Their small, insular world drastically changes when a baby is thrown from a passing train headed to Auschwitz. Seeing it as a gift from God, the woman pledges to raise the child—against the initial resistance of her husband, and in the face of the rising antisemitic fervor of the local villagers. This visually stunning animated fable by Oscar®-winning filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) is narrated by the late French icon Jean-Louis Trintignant and accompanied by Alexandre Desplat’s stirring score. With hand-drawn artistry that evokes a timeless, tactile beauty, this cinematic gem delivers a poignant reflection on loss, resistance, and the enduring power of human connection. It is not only the first animated film to compete for the Palme d’Or at Cannes since Waltz with Bashir in 2008 but it’s the first ever animated feature to play the CFJFF.
Purchase a Series or Mensch Pass to receive admission to all 5 Central Florida Jewish Film Festival films, plus priority seating:
Mensch Pass $118 (limited quantity): Includes first priority seating to all 5 films and a donation to Shalom Orlando
Series Pass $65 (limited quantity): Includes discounted admission to all 5 films and second priority seating
Please note, there are no Enzian Film Society Member discounts or table reservations for Central Florida Jewish Film Festival films.
France/Belgium, 2024, 81 min, Directed by Michel Hazanavicius, In French, Russian, and German with English subtitles
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“Finds a poignant way to address not only the horrors of the Holocaust, but the kindness that combated it…an indelible parable destined to be watched and shared by generations to come.”
– Peter Debruge, VARIETY -
“Hazanavicius, whose roots lie in an Eastern European Jewish family, crafts a postmodern fairy tale with simplicity and effectiveness, evoking deep emotion through acts of kindness and humanity.”
– Filipe Freitas, ALWAYS GOOD MOVIES -
“Beautifully animated to mix realistic movement with the visual style of a graphic novel, this is a powerfully involving story set in Poland during World War II.”
– Rich Cline, SHADOWS ON THE WALL -
“An unflinching but elegant Holocaust fable adapted from Jean-Claude Grumberg’s 2019 novella of the same name. As a contender for the Palme d’Or, it’s a compelling argument that Cannes should not wait another 16 years to give animated work a chance to compete for its most precious award."
– Leila Latif, INDIEWIRE -
“A simple yet often stunning animation style that grows on you…(this) fascinating film is best when it’s poetically delicate.”
– Chase Hutchinson, THE WRAP -
“A noble and valiant effort…an artistry that can be both beguiling and unsettling.”
– Josh Parham, NEXT BEST PICTURE
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