The annual Cannes Film Festival, a pivotal event in the global cinematic calendar, consistently presents a demanding yet unparalleled opportunity for industry professionals, critics, and cinephiles alike. Beyond the glamour and red carpet, the festival functions as a rigorous marathon of film viewing, industry networking, and cultural exchange. For institutions like the Asia Society, a global network dedicated to fostering understanding between Asia and the world, attendance is crucial. With a mandate to curate a diverse program for its 258-seat theater at its New York museum, the society’s representatives navigate the festival’s exhaustive schedule to identify new releases and repertory films that resonate with its mission of cultural dialogue.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s ‘All of a Sudden’: A Deep Dive into Human Connection and Institutional Ethics
Among the most anticipated premieres at the 2026 festival was Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s latest feature, All of a Sudden. The Franco-Japanese co-production, clocking in at an expansive three and a half hours, garnered significant critical attention for its profound exploration of human connection and the ethical complexities within modern care systems. Hamaguchi, celebrated for his nuanced character studies and meticulous storytelling in films like the Academy Award-winning Drive My Car (2021) and the Berlin Silver Bear recipient Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021), continues his thematic exploration of interpersonal relationships and societal structures with this latest work.
The film centers on the evolving, intimate friendship between Marie-Louise (Virginie Efira), the director of a senior care facility in the Parisian suburbs, and Mari (Tao Okamoto), a Japanese theater director. Marie-Louise is portrayed as a dedicated professional immersed in implementing "Humanitude," a real-life care philosophy that emphasizes individualized attention and respect for patients, aiming to restore dignity and autonomy. This approach, developed by Yves Gineste and Rosette Marescotti, focuses on four pillars: verbal communication, gaze, touch, and verticality, and has gained international recognition for its humanistic principles in elder care. Its integration into Marie-Louise’s for-profit facility highlights the inherent tension between compassionate care and economic imperatives.
Parallel to Marie-Louise’s endeavors, Mari is depicted staging an experimental theatrical production inspired by Franco Basaglia. Basaglia, a revolutionary Italian psychiatrist, spearheaded a radical movement in the 1960s and 70s that led to the abolition of psychiatric asylums, or "mancomio," in Italy. His work, culminating in Italy’s Law 180 of 1978, fundamentally shifted the paradigm of mental health care from institutionalization to community-based treatment, advocating for the full social reintegration of individuals with mental illnesses. Basaglia’s philosophy, emphasizing human rights and the deconstruction of traditional psychiatric power structures, provides a powerful intellectual backdrop for Mari’s artistic exploration.
The film’s strength lies in the compelling chemistry between Efira and Okamoto, whose performances anchor the extensive, earnest dialogue that forms the narrative backbone. Their conversations span personal histories, philosophical musings on chance, and critical analyses of capitalism’s pervasive impact on their respective fields and the broader world. The near-homonymic names of the characters, Marie-Louise and Mari, subtly underscore their thematic connection as both friends and foils. One operates on an institutional scale, striving to reform a system from within, while the other engages in a more personal, artistic challenge to established norms. Their eventual collaboration, depicted as a synthesis of their individual ideals, underscores the film’s central thesis on the potential for transformative change through shared vision and collective effort.
Thematic Resonance: Care, Capitalism, and Collaboration
All of a Sudden skillfully navigates the complex interplay between individual well-being and systemic constraints. Marie-Louise’s struggle to implement Humanitude within a for-profit framework echoes Basaglia’s own historical challenge to the institutionalized nature of mental healthcare. A quote from John Foot’s biography, The Man Who Closed the Asylums: Franco Basaglia and the Revolution in Mental Health Care, elucidates this core conflict: "As long as we are within a system our situation will remain contradictory: the institution is managed and denied at the same time, illness is ‘put into brackets’ and cured, therapeutic acts are refused and carried out…We are destined to inhabit the contradictions of the system, managing an institution which we deny."
This observation perfectly encapsulates Marie-Louise’s predicament, as she endeavors to "create possibility from impossibility" within the inherent limitations of a capitalist-driven care system. Her efforts, much like Basaglia’s when he initially took on an asylum directorship, highlight the difficult, often paradoxical, position of reformers working within the very structures they seek to transform. Hamaguchi’s film, therefore, not only presents a compelling narrative of friendship but also functions as a vital commentary on contemporary societal challenges in healthcare, human dignity, and the enduring quest for more compassionate institutional models. The film’s extended runtime allows for a deep, unhurried exploration of these multifaceted themes, inviting audiences to engage profoundly with the characters’ intellectual and emotional journeys.
A Historical Interlude: Ken Russell’s Restored ‘The Devils’
Beyond the contemporary narratives, the Cannes festival also serves as a crucial platform for film preservation and the re-introduction of cinematic classics. One such event was the screening of Ken Russell’s newly restored and lengthened original cut of The Devils. Released in 1971, The Devils is a controversial historical drama based on Aldous Huxley’s 1952 book The Devils of Loudun, which chronicles a real-life 17th-century incident in France where a group of Ursuline nuns claimed to be possessed by devils, implicating a charismatic priest, Urbain Grandier.
This restoration, undertaken by Warner Brothers’ newly established "Clockwork" label—a division dedicated to the meticulous preservation and re-release of culturally significant, often provocative, cinematic works—reinserted six minutes of footage deemed too obscene for the film’s initial release in both Britain and the USA. The original cut faced severe censorship, which significantly altered Russell’s artistic vision. British critic Mark Kermode, a long-time champion of the film and instrumental in locating the missing footage two decades prior during the production of a documentary on The Devils, introduced the screening. He affirmed the late filmmaker’s lifelong desire for the full version to be publicly accessible, underscoring the importance of artistic integrity and film heritage.
Ken Russell was renowned for his bombastic, visually extravagant, and often controversial approach to historical dramas, pushing the boundaries of what period pieces could be. His films challenged conventional narratives, injecting them with a thrilling, almost anarchic energy. The Devils exemplifies this, transforming a convent into a crucible of hysteria, political maneuvering, and religious fervor, where the lines between genuine possession, psychological torment, and calculated deception become terrifyingly blurred.
The film’s most enduring features are the electrifying performances, particularly Oliver Reed’s virile intensity as the defiant priest, Grandier, and Vanessa Redgrave’s visceral portrayal of the writhing Mother Superior, Jeanne des Anges. Redgrave’s performance, in particular, has been critically lauded for its raw power and psychological depth. Beyond its shocking spectacle, The Devils critically examines institutional contradictions and hypocrisies, specifically those embedded within the Catholic Church of the era. Its themes—power corruption, mass hysteria, the weaponization of belief, and the brutal suppression of dissent—remain strikingly relevant. The 2026 reintroduction of the complete, uncensored The Devils to contemporary audiences is a significant cultural event, inviting renewed critical discussion on its artistic merits, historical context, and enduring social commentary.
Cannes Beyond Screenings: Cultural Exchange and Emerging Voices
The Cannes Film Festival’s vibrant ecosystem extends beyond its main competition and market screenings, encompassing a rich array of cultural events and pavilions. These ancillary programs underscore the festival’s role as a nexus for global cultural exchange. On Tuesday evening, a performance by Sol Band at the Palestine Pavilion, situated within the Village International, offered a poignant reminder of the festival’s diverse offerings. The Village International, a dedicated area for international film institutions and national cinema bodies, provides a crucial platform for countries to showcase their cinematic talent and forge international collaborations. Sol Band’s joyous musical interlude served as a vital moment of cultural celebration, injecting renewed energy into the festival’s demanding schedule and highlighting the importance of artistic expression as a bridge between cultures.
As the festival approached its homestretch, several other films emerged as notable contenders and significant additions to the global cinematic landscape, warranting attention from distributors and cultural institutions worldwide. Among these was 9 Temples to Heaven, the moving feature debut by Sompot Chidgasornpongse, long-time assistant director to acclaimed Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Chidgasornpongse’s film is expected to carry the meditative, spiritual depth often associated with Thai independent cinema, exploring themes of faith, memory, and the human condition.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa, known for his masterful psychological thrillers and horror films (Cure, Pulse), presented The Samurai and the Prisoner, an eye-popping samurai epic that signals a fascinating stylistic departure for the revered Japanese director. This venture into a genre steeped in Japanese cinematic tradition, filtered through Kurosawa’s distinctive vision, promises a fresh perspective on the samurai narrative.
Na Hong-jin, the acclaimed South Korean director behind intense thrillers like The Chaser and The Wailing, unveiled Hope, an outrageous monster movie. Na Hong-jin’s reputation for visceral storytelling and genre-bending narratives suggests Hope will be a powerful and memorable addition to the creature feature canon, likely infused with the psychological depth and social commentary characteristic of his previous work.
Finally, Clarissa, a clever and sumptuous adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s seminal novel Mrs. Dalloway, was presented by the Nigerian-British filmmaking duo Arie and Chuko Esiri. Following the critical success of their debut feature Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), the Esiri brothers have demonstrated a keen eye for human drama and a sophisticated narrative style. Their interpretation of Woolf’s modernist classic is anticipated to offer a fresh, culturally resonant perspective on the novel’s themes of memory, societal expectations, and the complexities of inner life.
These films, spanning diverse genres, cultural origins, and thematic concerns, collectively underscore Cannes’ enduring significance as a launchpad for global cinematic talent and a crucial forum for the exchange of ideas through the art of filmmaking. The Asia Society’s commitment to bringing such a rich tapestry of international cinema to New York audiences reflects a broader effort to foster cross-cultural understanding and appreciation in an increasingly interconnected world.
