The Most Precious of Cargoes

Director Michel Hazanavicius’ animation offers a unique perspective on the Holocaust and has been praised for the sophistication with which it intertwines the brutal reality of war with a fairytale aesthetic. While World War II is tearing the world apart, a poor woodcutter and his wife live in a vast forest. One day, the woman finds a baby thrown from a deportation train by her father in a desperate attempt to save the girl. Against all dangers and their own prejudices, the couple decides to protect the child. This act of compassion brings irrevocable changes in their lives and the lives of those who cross the child’s path.