Lukas Dhont's 'Coward' Gets 13
Deadline • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Lukas Dhont’s World War I drama Coward premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to a 13-minute standing ovation, marking one of the strongest responses in this year’s competition.
- The film, Dhont’s second feature in Cannes after 2022’s Close, follows Pierre, a soldier at the front who finds solace in a theatre show organized by fellow soldier Francis, exploring themes of queer romance amid war.
- Coward stars Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne and has been pre-acquired by Mubi for multiple international territories including the UK, Germany, and Latin America.
- Dhont, who previously won an award at Cannes for his debut film Girl in 2018, revealed that the film was inspired by a black-and-white photograph of a cross-dressing soldier performing behind the frontlines.
- Critics praised Coward as a timeless love story comparable to classics like Casablanca, and Dhont emphasized the film’s message of promoting love over war during his post-screening remarks.