Cannes Film Festival 2026 Critics’ Week Selection

ALI CHERRI | THE SENTINEL

66th Critics’ Week at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival

Ali Cherri was a visiting artist-lecturer at Le Fresnoy for the 2024–2025 academic year, and it was during this time that he made this film, which we co-produced.

Synopsis | 14 July, France’s national holiday. In a barracks governed by military rituals, Sergeant Lafleur seems crushed by the silent weight of duty. A doctor grants him one night’s leave, on condition that he returns before dawn. Thus begins a nocturnal wander through a world that is gradually slipping away from reality. A night suspended between destiny and abandonment.

Born in Beirut, Ali Cherri is a filmmaker and sculptor based in Paris. His work is exhibited in leading museums around the world. In 2022, he was awarded the Silver Lion at the Venice Art Biennale. That same year, his debut feature film, *Le Barrage*, was screened at Cannes as part of the Directors’ Fortnight. He went on to direct the short films *Le Guetteur*, selected for the 2024 International Film Festival Rotterdam, and *La Sentinelle*, screened at Critics’ Week in Cannes in 2026.

INTERPRETERS

Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Éric Cantona, Georges Torbey (Sbete)

CREDITS

Directed and written by: Ali Cherri

Contributor to the dialogues: Karim Kattan

Image: Frida Marzouk

Edited by: Vincent Tricon

Set design: Zoé Goetgheluck

Additional sets and sculpture work: Cherri Studio (Valentin Rolovic, workshop manager – Loïc Leclercq)

Sound: Julien Sena, Martin Delzescaux, Simon Apostolou

Original music: Hamdan Zeid

Cabaret song ‘Kil Rejjel’

Lyrics: Rabih Mroueh, based on Oscar Wile’s poem ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’

Performed by: Khansa

Instruments and arrangements: Hamdan Zeid – Fabien GIRARD

Production:

LAST DREAMS PRODUCTION, Rémi Bonhomme & Imane Farès

Co-production:

Le Fresnoy – National Studio for Contemporary Arts

Executive producer:

Maneki Films, Didar Domehri

With the support of ALMINE RECH, Mercedes Vilardell, Robert Matta (RAM Foundation), Fondation des Artistes, Palais de Tokyo

and also

Young audiences