"Set on the frontlines, we meet a young Belgian soldier named Pierre (Emmanuel Macchia) who feels he must prove himself on the battlefield, yet struggles with the harsh realities of trench warfare. But then he meets flamboyant comrade-at-arms Francis (Valentin Campagne), tasked with putting on amateur plays to boost morale. There's a spark between them, though they wouldn't dare show it."
"It's only through performance, when "in character" with costumes & wigs, that they're able to express any form of affection-right in front of everyone. "There is this relationship at the core of the film, which can't be made public, bu"
Coward opens at Cannes as a high-profile queer competition film by Lukas Dhont. The Belgian director previously won major Cannes honors with Girl, about a trans teen navigating gender dysphoria at a ballet academy, and with Close, about a bond between two teen boys that won the Grand Prix. Coward is set during WWI and centers on Pierre, a young Belgian soldier who wants to prove himself but struggles with trench warfare. Pierre meets Francis, a flamboyant comrade who stages amateur plays to boost morale. Their connection sparks, yet remains hidden, and affection becomes possible only when they perform “in character” wearing costumes and wigs.
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