“Titane” director Julia Ducournau made a triumphant return to Cannes Monday evening with her new feature “Alpha.” The mother-daughter infection thriller earned an enthusiastic 11.5-minute ovation after its premiere — one of the most glowing in-person receptions thus far at this year’s film festival.
But the premiere of “Alpha” faced a brief interruption when, about an hour into the film’s runtime, attendees in the balcony began waving their phone flashlights.
Popular on Variety “Alpha” stars Cannes regulars Golshifteh Farahani and Tahar Rahim opposite “Sex Education” favorite Emma Mackey and Finnegan Oldfield.
You could even say mine is monstrous.” “Alpha” marks Ducournau’s second Cannes competition title.
Neon, which distributed “Titane,” has teamed up with the filmmaker once again for the “Alpha” release.
Julia Ducournau, the director of “Titane,” returned to Cannes with her new film, “Alpha,” on Monday night. One of the most resounding in-person receptions at this year’s film festival so far was given to the mother-daughter infection thriller, which received an enthusiastic 11:05 ovation upon its premiere. Ducournau became noticeably emotional as the cheers continued, wiping away her tears and using her hands to form a heart as a token of appreciation.
However, the “Alpha” premiere was briefly interrupted when, approximately an hour into the movie’s duration, guests on the balcony started flashing their phone flashlights. Some audience members requested that the screening be stopped by yelling in French for a doctor. One audience member was soon carried out on a stretcher after paramedics finally arrived. Throughout the incident, the “Alpha” screening went on without stopping.
The cause of the medical emergency is still unknown. The event didn’t seem to have anything to do with Ducournau’s film’s plot, which at that point hadn’t shown any particularly startling material. For additional information, Variety has contacted the festival’s press office.
well-liked on Variety.
Golshifteh Farahani and Tahar Rahim, Cannes regulars, star in “Alpha,” while Emma Mackey and Finnegan Oldfield, favorites of “Sex Education,” star opposite them. The title character, a disturbed 13-year-old living with her single mother, is at the heart of the story. The day she comes home from school with a tattoo on her arm, their entire world falls apart, according to the Cannes synopsis. “”.
With its depiction of a virus spread by sharing needles and bodily fluids, the movie appears to be meant as an allegory for AIDS. The film is mostly a surreal drama, even though there is a body horror element added by the infected people’s skin turning to marble. Recollections of her deceased brother, an addict who passed away from the illness, cause the girl’s mother to become more and more paranoid as she starts to worry that her daughter is infected.
“Titane,” Ducournau’s most recent directorial endeavor, has already made Cannes history. One of the most controversial films at the 2021 festival, the body horror psychological drama won the Palme d’Or from the jury, which was led by Spike Lee. Ducournau was the second female director to take home the top prize at Cannes. The director’s third feature is “Alpha.”. The 2016 cannibal adolescent thriller “Raw,” which was her debut, debuted in the Critics’ Week sidebar at Cannes.
“At the time, I was sure that all the films awarded must have been perfect because they were on the stage,” Ducournau said when she accepted the Palme d’Or in 2021, recalling how much she enjoyed watching the Cannes awards every year as a child. Even though I am on the same stage tonight, I am aware that my film is not flawless, but I believe that no film is flawless in the eyes of its creator. One could even describe mine as monstrous. “.”.
“Alpha” is Ducournau’s second Cannes competition victory. For the release of “Alpha,” Neon, the distribution company for “Titane,” has partnered with the director once more.
