Through a clever mix of stop motion animation and interviews, The Wanted 18 recreates an astonishing true story: the Israeli army’s pursuit of 18 cows, whose independent milk production on a Palestinian collective farm was declared “a threat to the national security of the state of Israel.”

Unusual ways of telling nonfiction stories in cinema are rare indeed, which is why such unconventional films like Waltz with Bashir and this brilliantly mixed-media documentary are precious. Here, a small story of history demands a special approach to gain attention, distance and analysis.