All of a Sudden Special Presentations

In the Parisian suburbs, Marie-Lou (Virginie Efira) works to transform a private eldercare facility by introducing Humanitude, a compassionate approach that places dignity and human connection above corporate efficiency. Her idealism meets resistance from an exhausted nursing staff, but her understanding of care deepens after a chance encounter with Mari (Tao Okamoto), an enigmatic Japanese playwright living with terminal cancer. As an unexpected friendship develops, the two women find themselves drawn into philosophical conversations about mortality, care, and the systems that shape our lives.

Loosely inspired by a real exchange of letters between a philosopher and an anthropologist, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s French-language debut is a quietly expansive film about the fragile structures that bind us to one another. Anchored by luminous, Cannes-winning performances from Efira and Okamoto, Hamaguchi finds profound drama in conversation, observation, and the spaces between people. Patient and deeply humane, All of a Sudden considers what it means to care for another person and how, in confronting mortality, we might discover new ways of being together.

Best Performance for an Actress, Cannes 2026