Here’s our first poster for Julia Ducournau’s new film, “Alpha,” which can be seen below. The film will screen in competition at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19.
Set for release by Neon, “Alpha” features Golshifteh Farahani (“Paterson”) and Tahar Rahim (“A Prophet”). Following the wildly audacious “Titane,” Ducournau appears to be raising the stakes of distaste once again.
Described as her most intimate and emotionally resonant film to date, “Alpha” unfolds in a fictionalized 1980s metropolis inspired by New York City. The story follows an 11-year-old girl named Alpha as she navigates the emotional turmoil of a parent’s illness during the global AIDS crisis, confronting death and grief for the first time in her young life.
It’s been three years since “Titane” stirred up strong reactions at Cannes 2021, ultimately taking home the Palme d’Or despite, or perhaps because, of its deeply polarizing reception. Even the Telluride Film Festival passed on it. I appreciated its wild, late-night energy. If you haven’t yet seen Ducournau’s debut feature, “Raw” from 2017, it’s definitely worth watching too.
