In a small village in Iran, Hassan cherishes his cow more than anything in the world. While he is away, the cow mysteriously dies, and the villagers protectively try to convince Hassan the cow has wandered off. Grief stricken, Hassan begins to believe he is his own beloved bovine.

Banned upon release for its social critique, this lucid yet mysterious pioneer of Iran’s New Wave coaxes infinities from the simplest of animal metaphors. Marrying neorealism and expressionism with its striking monochrome photography, The Cow limns harsh realities with glimmers of the mystical.