Julia Ducournau’s ‘Alpha’ Earns Prolonged Ovation at Cannes Premiere Amid Disruption

Julia Ducournau, the Palme d’Or-winning director of Titane, made a notable return to the Cannes Film Festival with her latest film, Alpha, which received a standing ovation lasting around 11-12 minutes despite a mid-screening disruption involving a medical emergency in the audience. Alpha, set in the 1980s and ’90s, tells the story of a troubled 13-year-old girl named Alpha and her single mother, whose lives unravel after Alpha returns from school with a tattoo, amidst a backdrop inspired by the AIDS crisis. The film stars Mélissa Boros as Alpha, with Golshifteh Farahani, Tahar Rahim, and Emma Mackey in key roles. Neon, which previously distributed Titane, has acquired North American rights to Alpha, with international sales handled by Charades and FilmNation Entertainment. Ducournau’s genre-bending style blends psychological drama with body horror elements, and Alpha has been one of the most talked-about films in the Cannes competition, further cementing Ducournau’s reputation as a provocative and visionary filmmaker. Alpha is expected to be released in U.S. theaters in October following its Cannes premiere.