The Unknown

Following his Palme d’Or-winning The Anatomy of a Fall, Arthur Harari returns to Cannes with an uncanny tale of identity and desire. David (Niels Schneider), a reclusive photographer in his forties, is persuaded by friends to attend a wild underground party, where he becomes transfixed by a mysterious woman (Léa Seydoux). Their encounter changes everything: the next morning, David wakes up in her body. Desperate to understand what has happened, he sets out to find her, only to discover Malia (Lilith Grasmug), a young woman now living in David’s body. As the two search for answers, they are forced to confront the unsettling psychological reality of being trapped in bodies that are no longer their own.
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The Unknown is a bold, philosophical exploration of identity and alienation, conjuring the worlds of Michelangelo Antonioni, David Lynch and Franz Kafka.

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Cannes International Film Festival 2026 - in competition
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2026 - Horizons selection

Arthur Harari, a French director, screenwriter, and actor, is one of the leading figures in contemporary French cinema. As a creative partner of Justine Triet, he co-wrote the screenplay for The Anatomy of a Fall. The film won the Palme d’Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and went on to receive Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and César awards. As an actor, Harari has appeared in films by Justine Triet and Cédric Kahn, among others. His films are characterized by genre subversion, psychological realism, and stark lyricism.

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Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle (2021)

Original title: L'inconnue
Director: Arthur Harari
Cast: Léa Seydoux, Niels Schneider, Valérie Dréville, Lilith Grasmug, Radu Jude, Shanti Masud, Jonathan Turnbull, Victoire Du Bois
Cinematography: Tom Harari
Screenwriters: Arthur Harari, Lucas Harari, Vincent Poymiro
Producer: Nicolas Anthomé
Editor: Laurent Sénéchal
Music: Andrea Poggio
Hungarian Distributor: Mozinet
Colour: colour
Run Time: 139 mins