This stunning drama marked the feature film debut of critically acclaimed Spanish director Julio Medem (Sex And Lucia, Lovers Of The Arctic Circle, The Red Squirrel) and was the recipient of a host of prestigious international awards. In 1875, while fighting in the trenches at Biscay, an army sergeant, Carmelo Mendiluze, learns that a neighbour from his village, Manuel Ilegorri, has joined his exhausted battalion. Desperate for news of his child's birth, he befriends the inexperienced soldier. Before long, Manuel's cowardly and selfish actions bring about tragic consequences.

Thirty years later, the sons of Mendiluze and Iriguibel harbour deep-seated feelings of resentment towards one another, but their shared skill in the local art of log cutting - known as aizcolari - means that their fates remain interconnected. Before long, however, it will be the relationships between the sons and daughters of the two men that ensures that the families' histories are destined to become linked forever. Set against a backdrop of some of the key moments in Spanish history, Vacas beautifully explores the complex and intricate relationship between three generations of two Basque families.