An act of wartime cowardice comes to haunt three generations of Basque country farmers. ‘Vacas’ chronicles the bitter feud emerging between two neighbouring families after Carmelo is killed because of his neighbour Manuel’s cowardice. Will Ignacio (Manuel’s son) and Catalina (Carmelo’s daughter) escape the fates assigned to them by their families, or will they be crushed under the weight of history? Deeply immersed in Basque traditions – notably featuring a stunning, traditional ‘aizcolari’ woodcutting sequence – Medem’s masterpiece marries the mythical with the historical in a thrilling and profound treatment of Basque history.