Coward
Lukas Dhont / BE, FR, NL, 2026 / 125 min.
Coward, the latest feature film from Belgian director Lukas Dhondt, received a standing ovation lasting no less than 13 minutes in Cannes. Lead actors Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne were both awarded Best Actor for Dhont’s drama about a queer love between two young soldiers during WWI.
Flanders, 1916. The trenches of World War I: hundreds of thousands of young men are losing their lives in a horrific war of attrition being fought for tiny territorial gains, achieved by sending mass waves of infantry into a hail of machine-gun fire.
It is against this background that Pierre (Emmanuel Macchia) and Francis (Valentin Campagne) meet. Pierre is a taciturn farmer’s son who wants to prove himself in war, while the flamboyant, playful Francis is active in an entertainment unit meant to boost the morale of the troops with song, dance and variety acts.
Details
Director
Lukas Dhont
Production year
2026
Country
BE, FR, NL
Original title
Coward
Length
125 min.
Language
French, Dutch
Subtitles
ENG or NLD
Format
DCP
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