Writer’s Choice: Bloody Milk

Set on a French dairy farm, Bloody Milk (Petit Paysan) is an exploration of modern farming life. The film investigates current social issues and stifling financial conflict, contemporary technology solutions against traditional farming methods and unexpected themes of love and empathy.

Written and directed by newcomer Hubert Charuel, this simple yet distressing story skilfully navigates the fundamentally unfair and unpredictable nature of our lives, where so many elements are out of our capacity to effect and control.

Our protagonist is Pierre, a lonesome dairy farmer, played by up-and-coming French talent Swann Arlaud. His isolated lifestyle is cushioned by his affinity and affection for his herd of cows, who he maintains a warm working bond with. A deadly virus begins to spread amongst cattle throughout France, and the film navigates Pierre’s responsive actions as he discovers one of his herd is infected.

With his life revolving around his trade, Pierre makes a number of decisions for the sake of his livelihood and for the love of the cows. He resorts to desperate measures to ensure that the scare remains undetected and reactions of fear and distress quickly escalate as the remainder of the herd start to demonstrate signs of the disease.

The rest of the cast is simple, mostly backing the exploration of the moral and ethical implications of Pierre’s response to the threat. His sister and local vet, Pascale (Sara Giraudeau) acts as a coincidental compass to bring the legal and financial effects of his decisions to reality. In the final stages of the film, she reluctantly delivers a punishing verdict that truly highlights the horrific decision they would have had to make all along.

Having been screened and critically acclaimed at Critics Week for the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, this quiet yet powerful portrayal of modern farming is certainly one to see when exploring the upcoming 2018 Alliance Française French Film Festival. 

Alliance Française French Film Festival 2018
Bloody Milk
affrenchfilmfestival.org/film/bloody-milk