It was announced this morning that Bruno Dumont’s new film, “Red Rocks,” will be added to the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
Born at the Fortnight in 1997 with “The Life of Jesus,” which was awarded a special mention for the Caméra d’Or, Bruno Dumont has created an ever-changing body of work, shaped by a wide range of experiments.
Initially rooted in the North of France, his directing style has gradually opened up to other landscapes, from California to the Middle East, from Paris to Avignon, while occasionally returning to his stomping ground. His work process with actors, long guided by the Bressonian model, has gradually come to embrace accidents and improvisation.
From crime film to war drama, from comedy to sci-fi, Bruno Dumont now seems to move toward a form of purification: a search for simplicity, almost a bareness, in both style and writing.
“Red Rocks” marks a new turn in his filmography. Shot on the French Riviera with very young children, the film adopts a documentary-like approach, marked by the deliberate use of wide-angle lenses. Once again, Dumont explores the grace that can emerge from cinema.
Starting their conversation with his latest film, the Cannes Film Festival will trace thirty years of his filmmaking, exploring a body of work that is both free and deeply singular.
The 2026 Cannes Film Festival will run from May 12th until May 23rd. Cody Dericks and Nadia Dalimonte will be attending with me in-person this year from Next Best Picture.
Are you excited for the 2026 Cannes Film Festival? Are you planning to attend the festival this year? What do you think of this announcement? Please let us know in the comments section below or on our X account.
