44 Films with Exceptional Screenplays from Cannes

Lou-Jean and Clovis Poplin, a married couple accustomed to minor offenses, face an impossible situation when their baby is taken by the state of Texas. Refusing to give up their child, they make the desperate decision to steal him from…

Lolita, a gifted 20-year-old, aspires to be a singer. However, she struggles with low self-esteem stemming from her weight and the indifference of her famous, self-absorbed father, Étienne, a literary icon who neglects her. Lolita doubts the sincerity of her…

Set in pre-World War II Germany, this historical drama follows a gifted stage actor who gains unexpected fame for his powerful performance as Faust in a controversial play. As Nazism rises, his friends are exiled or persecuted. His fame increasingly…

Adèle's life takes a turn when she meets Emma, a young woman with distinctive blue hair. Emma helps Adèle explore her own desires and develop a sense of independence. Through their relationship, Adèle learns to express herself and discover who…

Andrew Crocker-Harris, a respected classics teacher at a prestigious English school, is forced to leave his job due to declining health. Facing his final term, he's deeply hurt to discover his wife's infidelity with a close colleague. He also realizes…

Four separate stories from contemporary China depict sudden, unexpected acts of violence.

Luo Haitao is hired to secretly monitor a cheating husband, but she unexpectedly develops a hidden relationship with the husband's partner. Luo and her girlfriend then find themselves caught up in a series of passionate encounters. The synopsis questions how…

In a small Italian town, a group of young people confront the impending end of their carefree youth and the expectation of marriage. They try to recapture their past with a final gathering, but the attempt ends sadly. Slowly, they…

Emad and Rana are displaced from their apartment because of risky construction next door and relocate to a new home in central Tehran. An event connected to the previous occupant of their new apartment profoundly alters the lives of the…

During a war, two soldiers from opposing sides find themselves trapped together in the same trench, caught between the fighting. The United Nations intervenes to rescue them, leading to a ceasefire agreement between the warring factions. The question remains: can…

"The Painted Bird" follows Jan Nowak, a Polish contractor who takes a job leading a team of workers to London. Promised good pay by a government official, the men face a new world while dealing with homesickness and the allure…

Lazzaro, a kind-hearted teenager, enjoys a simple life working on a farm in the Italian countryside. However, his world is turned upside down when he forms an unexpected friendship with the marquise's son.

Against the beautiful backdrop of Rome, eight veteran Italian politicians from the Communist Party share honest conversations on a terrace, reflecting on their careers. The film explores their pasts and present roles within the party, and how they see the…

Years after 'The Decline of the American Empire,' Remy, a middle-aged Montreal college professor, is diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. His ex-wife, Louise, asks their estranged son Sebastian, a successful businessman in London, to return home. Sebastian mobilizes his resources,…

In 1942 Bavaria, a widow named Eva invites her friends Adolf, Josef, Magda, and Martin – all devoted to the Nazi regime – to her farmhouse for a weekend. She seeks respite from the oppressive atmosphere of Germany. But even…

A lonely garbage collector from New Jersey and his quiet sister have their lives upended when a quirky wanderer stumbles into their world. The vagabond's self-absorbed nature initially disrupts their routines, but he unexpectedly sparks personal growth. The film explores…

A woman in her sixties in South Korea joins a poetry class while struggling with a declining memory and deeply upsetting news about her grandson.

In Rome, a skilled thief named Esposito consistently outwits tourists with clever scams, always escaping the police. Officer Bottoni is determined to catch him. When Esposito appears to evade capture again, Bottoni is warned he'll lose his job if he…

An elderly Greek man returns to his homeland after decades spent under Soviet rule. Once a committed communist, he finds Greece vastly different from the one he left. The film explores his emotional journey as he confronts the gap between…

In turn-of-the-century Bucharest, a former convict named Codine lives by force in a poverty-stricken slum. After serving a ten-year sentence for killing a friend, he returns to his mother, whose extreme frugality deeply irritates him. A young boy idolizes Codine…

Michel Blanc, a celebrated French actor, is struggling with burnout from the demands of fame. Strange events begin to happen around him, worsening his mental state. He sees a psychiatrist who suggests a change of setting. With his friend Carole…

A dedicated university professor becomes entangled in a dangerous investigation after two people die during a prominent hunting trip. His relentless search for the truth reveals connections to the mafia, powerful figures in the church, and political schemes. As he…

Alina travels back to Romania from Germany with the intention of bringing Voichita home. Voichita is the only person Alina has ever loved, and vice versa. However, Voichita has embraced a religious life, and her devotion to God proves the…

It’s Thanksgiving, 1973, and the Hood family’s gathering quickly unravels into escalating conflict. The weekend takes a dramatic turn with an unprecedentedly severe ice storm, the worst in a century. The treacherous weather forces the family to confront their priorities…

Lorna, a young Albanian woman, is in a marriage of convenience with Claudy, a heroin addict. As Lorna nears Belgian citizenship, Claudy decides to get clean. This creates difficulties for Lorna and for the criminal who arranged their arrangement.

In post-WWII France, Albert Dehousse learns his father wasn't the war hero he was led to believe; he was simply a regular soldier. Adding to this shock, Albert discovers his mother collaborated with the enemy during the occupation. This forces…

In North Africa during World War II, British soldiers face a difficult challenge: climbing The Hill, a seemingly impossible sand dune. Under the harsh sun, their greatest struggle isn't with the enemy, but with each other, trapped in a system…

David is a nurse who cares for patients with terminal illnesses. He's deeply committed to his work and forms close bonds with those he helps. However, his personal life is quite different.

Dr. Steven Murphy is a respected heart surgeon with a perfect family and home. However, a fatherless teenager named Martin slowly begins to insert himself into Dr. Murphy's life, creating a growing sense of unease.

Two years after the death of his wife, stage actor and director Yusuke Kafuku takes on a directing job for a play in Hiroshima. He's assigned a quiet young woman named Misaki to drive his car. During their journeys, buried…

Aydın, a hotel owner and retired actor in rural Turkey, faces internal struggles as winter arrives. He grapples with the complexities of his relationships with his wife and sister, and questions his own life.

A light-skinned African-American family lives secretly among white residents in a New England town. Their deception is exposed, and the community's prejudiced members demand they be removed.

In Madrid, a resourceful woman from a working-class background uncovers family secrets with the assistance of her teenage daughter and hairdresser sister.

In a Russian coastal town, Kolya must fight against the corrupt mayor when he learns his house is slated for demolition. He enlists the help of a lawyer friend, but the friend's involvement unexpectedly brings more trouble to Kolya and…

Six German-Turkish immigrants' lives intersect unexpectedly. An elderly man and a sex worker form an alliance. A young academic confronts his history. Two young women develop a romantic relationship. And a mother struggles to rebuild her life after it has…

Two cartoonists encounter a wealthy man who embodies the characters from their cartoons. He commissions them to develop a new comic series, and as they collaborate, the man starts acting out the storyline. The problem is, the new comic revolves…

A Scottish teenager from a difficult background wants a typical family life when his mother is released from prison. He works to save enough money to buy a home.

Director Jafar Panahi and actress Behnaz Jafari journey to a remote village after a girl seeks their assistance. Her family has banned her from pursuing an acting career. The pair experience humorous interactions, but also realize the villagers' warmth is…

In late 18th-century Brittany, a female painter living in isolation is commissioned to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman.

Haunted by his past, a war veteran with a talent for violence works as a tracker for missing girls. When a case goes wrong, his trauma intensifies, revealing a larger conspiracy. This may be the mission that destroys him or…

In Jerusalem, Israel, professors Eliezer and Uriel Shkolnik – father and son – have spent their lives studying Jewish scripture. Eliezer, a dedicated but overlooked scholar, contrasts with his successful and celebrated son, Uriel. Their delicate relationship is unexpectedly disrupted…

Betty, a waitress from Fair Oaks, Kansas, believes life is what you make of it. She refuses to accept that she can't be with the man she loves simply because he's not real. After a traumatic experience, Betty enters a…

In Laos, 1954, eight days before the French defeat in the Indochina war, a group of soldiers embarks on a dangerous retreat. The 317th platoon – four French soldiers and 41 Laotian fighters – must journey from their outpost to…

After Texas border officer Mike Norton mistakenly kills and buries Pete Perkins' friend and ranch hand, Pete is compelled to fulfill a promise he made to bury Melquiades Estrada in their hometown in Mexico. Pete kidnaps Norton, and together they…