Coward

Both lead actors, Valentin Campagne and Emmanuel Macchia deservedly shared the Cannes Best Actor prize for their complex, heartfelt performances. On the Belgian frontlines, the warfare is brutal and the conditions extremely harsh. To entertain the men and boost morale, a group of soldiers excused from combat and referred to as the ‘band of rejects’ perform theatrical musical pieces of increasing innovation and emotion. The leader of the troupe is Francis (Campagne), a born performer who soon draws the attention of Pierre (Macchia), an industrious soldier who becomes increasingly traumatised by the violence around him. As the two draw closer together, the realisation that it is in these horrific circumstances that they can be most themselves and most free, leads to dreams of a different kind of future. Though strikingly intimate in its depiction of a furtive relationship, Coward finds Dhont working on a grander scale than in Girl (SFF 2018) and Close – and the result is a resplendent and romantic love story.