The recent restoration of Ken Russell’s The Devils headlines the Cannes Classics lineup for 2026.

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      Certainly, we are enamored with the glamorous red-carpet premieres and the eagerly anticipated critiques of each new release that fills the competition slate. However, Cannes consistently shines the most in its Classics section. This year’s retro programming features Akira Kurosawa’s less well-known debut, Sanshiro Sugata, Visconti’s The Innocent, Orson Welles’ The Stranger, and—most importantly—Ken Russell’s The Devils, which has been hard to find in its original cut and has now been restored from the original negative, marking a long-awaited event.

      I am equally thrilled about the restoration of five remarkable films by Artavazd Pelechian, as well as Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project adding Maria Plyta’s Eva to its collection. On a modern note, Jia Zhangke’s new short, Torino Shadow, stands out prominently; there’s also hope that Bruce Dern receives recognition in Mike Mendez’s Dernsie: The Amazing Life of Bruce Dern.

      See the full lineup below or here.

      **Two New Films**

      Cannes Classics is pleased to announce the addition of two new films: Bérenger Thouin’s fiction feature, The Golden Age, and Jean-Gabriel Périot’s documentary, A Life, A Manifesto.

      These films portray the remarkable stories of two women, Jeanne Lavaur and Michèle Firk, from distinctive perspectives on the 20th century.

      **L’ÂGE D’OR (The Golden Age)**

      *Bérenger Thouin*

      2026, 1h53, France / Italy

      Produced by GoGoGo Films and Graffiti Films, in collaboration with Les Films de La Chapelle and Lesterfilm.

      Jeanne Lavaur’s extraordinary life is entirely her own. Traveling through the 20th century, she rebels against her destiny—from her youth in her parents' butcher shop to her aspiration of becoming a countess. Escaping from war to war, from Paris's Roaring Twenties to Brazil, her journey intertwines with History as she is caught between two loves: Count Guillaume de Barante and the daring Italian revolutionary, Céleste.

      In his debut feature filmed in 2025, French director Bérenger Thouin portrays a resilient and independent woman across the century. The film is enhanced by its three lead actors (Souheila Yacoub, Vassili Schneider, Yile Yara Vianello) and a creative blend of archival footage that reinvents the historical narrative.

      The screening will feature appearances by actors Souheila Yacoub, Vassili Schneider, Yile Yara Vianello, and Pierre-Antoine Billon, along with director Bérenger Thouin, producers Carine Ruszniewski and Enrica Capra, DoP Martin Roux, editor and co-writer Rémi Langlade, and composer Céleste Thouin.

      **UNE VIE MANIFESTE (A Life, A Manifesto)**

      *Jean-Gabriel Périot*

      2026, 1h26, France

      Produced by Envie de Tempête and Les Films de Pierre, co-produced by ARTE France and INA. French Distribution: Potemkine Films.

      This documentary feature chronicles the remarkable life of Michèle Firk, a film critic who contributed to Positif for eight years, an aspiring director, and a revolutionary activist dedicated to justice and freedom. A Life, A Manifesto explores the extraordinary journey of a woman altogether unbound by the constraints of time, a free spirit driven by her love for cinema and revolution.

      The screening will include the film crew.

      **Three Short Films in Special Screening**

      A special program featuring three recent short films will be shown, including the directors, actors, and producers present (Jia Zhang-Ke and Zhao Tao, Dustin Yellin and Darren Aronofsky, Amirhossein Shojaei and Saeed Roustaee).

      **Torino Shadow**

      *Jia Zhang-Ke*

      2026, 32 min, Italy / China

      A collaborative production from Museo Nazionale del Cinema Torino and Jia Zhang-Ke Art Center. Torino Shadow was developed as part of the Torino Encounters project. The film follows a woman traveling from southern China to Turin to see her husband. An unforeseen departure leads her on a journey to rediscover herself and her passion for cinema.

      The screening will feature director Jia Zhang-Ke and lead actress Zhao Tao.

      **GOODNIGHT LAMBY**

      *Dustin Yellin*

      2026, 15 min, United States

      Featuring Paul Rudd and Zia Copernicus Yellin.

      Originating from visual artist Dustin Yellin, GOODNIGHT LAMBY unfolds in a dream-like realm where memory and imagination merge. When three-year-old Zia discovers her cherished stuffed Lamby is missing, she explores