When a popular country music festival is held in a small town, Alain Balland’s family joins in on the festivities. Alain starts by getting onstage and singing his favourite waltz, Tennessee, followed by a dance with his 16-yearold daughter Kelly. Unbeknown to him, it’s the last time he’ll see her. The very same night, she disappears with her clandestine lover, Ahmed, and the ill-fated father begins a desperate search. After several years of fruitless pursuit, Kelly’s younger brother Kid joins the quest. The clues point to Syria… This latter-day paraphrase of John Ford’s classic 1956 western The Searchers is a powerful drama and an urgent call for humanity in a society riven by cultural and religious divisions. At the Césars, the national French film awards, Cowboys was nominated for best debut, best music, best actor (François Damiens) and most promising actor (Finnegan Oldfield).