30th Seattle Jewish Film Festival: Most Precious of Cargoes (La Plus précieuse des marchandises)

6:20 PM | SIFF CINEMA UPTOWN

Presented by the Seattle Jewish Film Festival (a program of Stroum Jewish Community Center).

A cinematic gem that transcends time, delivering a poignant reflection on hope during the Holocaust through the enduring power of human connection. This modern classic with its profound message of love triumphing over hate promises to be cherished across generations.

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A poor woodcutter lives with his wife in a snow-blanketed Polish village during WWII. They have no children, but their small, insular world drastically changes when a baby is thrown from a passing train heading for the prison camp at Auschwitz. Seeing it as a gift from God, the woman pledges to raise this Jewish child—defying her husband and a fervor of rising antisemitism from the villagers. Her unwavering commitment exposes both the depths of human compassion and the harrowing cost of hatred.

This visually stunning fable, adapted from Jean-Claude Grumberg’s acclaimed novel, marks an extraordinary leap into animation for French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius, the Academy Award-winning director of The Artist. Narrated by the late French icon Jean-Louis Trintignant and accompanied by a stirring score, the film’s hand-drawn artistry is both timeless and innovative, making it the first animated film to compete for the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or since Waltz with Bashir.

Sponsors: Shari Basom + David Spiekerman.