When the lights dim and the projector rolls, film lovers experience an excitement accompanied by curiosity and a mental notebook ready to jot down thoughts and theories. This year, those notes begin at the 79th Cannes Film Festival as it returns to the French Riviera. Although Hollywood’s major studios have bypassed the Croisette this season, the lineup remains remarkably high-calibre with a strong showing from the MENA region alongside international titles vying for the spotlight. While we wait to see which film receives the longest standing ovation (and the coveted awards), familiarise yourself with the films at this season’s festival.
Parallel Tales
Parallel Tales marks the return of Iranian director Asghar Farhadi to the prestigious Cannes red carpet, this time with a French-language film loosely inspired by the themes of Kieślowski’s Dekalog: VI. Centred on the aftermath of the November 2015 Paris attacks, the film, penned by Farhadi and Massoumeh Lahidji, utilises the multi-narrative structure that has defined the director’s career, creating a complex alignment of perspectives that makes it an interesting watch.
La Más Dulce (Strawberries)
Set to premiere in the Un Certain Regard section, Laïla Marrakchi’s La Más Dulce offers a closer look at the cost of the migrant experience. The film follows two young women who trade Morocco for the strawberry fields of southern Spain, only to find themselves trapped in a cycle of exploitation. Focused on the character of Hasna, brought to life by Nisrine Erradi, the film dives deep into the themes of vulnerability and abuse, making it one of the most anticipated regional entries at this year’s festival.
Yesterday The Eye Didn’t Sleep
Director Rakan Mayasi brings his debut feature to the Cannes Film Festival, a tale set in a Bedouin village in the Bekaa Valley of eastern Lebanon. The story centres on a young girl named Gamra, who is accused of burning the car of the man she loved after he decided to marry someone else. The film explores relationships between different family members and life in closely-knit villages through a cinematic portrayal that is thought-provoking yet entertaining to watch.
Rehearsals for a Revolution
Through five intimate portraits of family and mentors, Pegah Ahangarani’s Rehearsals for a Revolution maps forty years of Iranian history. Built from a collection of home videos and personal recordings, the film explores the evolution of the nation from 1979 to 2026. It is a personal documentary that tackles the heavy reality of political repression, showing how the history of a country is often best understood through the lives of those who lived it.
L’Inconnue (The Unknown)
Among the most anticipated films in competition this year is Arthur Harari’s L’Inconnue. A psychological fantasy with a surrealist edge, the film tells the story of a photographer who undergoes a transformation, waking up in the body of an unknown woman following a party with his friends. In the lineup for the Palme d’Or, L’Inconnue cements Harari’s reputation for high-concept storytelling.
Sheep In The Box
No stranger to the Croisette, Hirokazu Kore-eda, the celebrated director behind Nobody Knows and the 2018 Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters, returns to the competition with Sheep in the Box. Set in the near future, the drama follows a couple who attempt to heal the void of their lost son by bringing a humanoid with his exact likeness into their home. In an era where the influence of AI is rapidly expanding, Kore-eda’s latest is a timely commentary on the topic and strong contender for the Palme d’Or, questioning the very essence of human connection.
Hope
If sci-fi thrillers are your cup of tea, Hope is likely to be the film that impresses you the most. Written and directed by Na Hong-jin, returning to the spotlight a decade after The Wailing, the film centres on a mysterious encounter in a secluded coastal village. In competition for the Palme d’Or, this production brings a different aesthetic to the table for the jury.
Bitter Christmas
Bitter Christmas explores the messy reality of loss through the eyes of Elsa, a woman struggling to process her mother’s holiday-season passing. After a panic attack forces her to confront the grief she tried to bury in her work, she travels to the island of Lanzarote with her close friend, Patricia. The film blurs the lines between reality and fiction, mirroring Elsa’s healing process with the creative struggles of a filmmaker and writer documenting her story.
Paper Tiger
Starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller, Paper Tiger is a movie about two brothers and their entanglement with the Russian mafia as they find a deal too good to be true. Directed by James Gray, the intense drama shows the different facets of betrayal, and how relationships evolve through it.
Clarissa
A reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, Arie and Chuko Esiri’s Clarissa is set to debut within the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar. Transporting the narrative to the high society of Lagos, Nigeria, the film follows Clarissa as she prepares to host a party. As the evening unfolds, an encounter with friends from her youth sparks a journey into past desires, old relationships and the weight of memory. As the sole African feature in the lineup, it stands as a highlight of the section’s 58th edition.
