Julia Ducournau returns to Cannes with 'Alpha'

Ducourau walked the red carpet with her cast, including Tahar Rahim, Golshifteh Farahani and Emma Mackey, with Cannes jury president Juliette Binoche and actress Vicky Krieps also in attendance, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The audience at Cannes enthusiastically applauded Ducournau and her team, with several cheers for the AIDS-coded horror movie about a mystery sickness and the terror and social exclusion it instils. While Alpha was far less violent and provocative than her Palme d'Or winner Titane, it was still poignant, with some cast members wiping away tears when the house lights came on.

Melissa Boros, who plays the titular Alpha, for Farahani as her mother, and Rahim as her uncle, a junkie infected with the virus, as per the outlet.

But the loudest cheers were for Ducournau. The home crowd continued to cheer her on through a solid 11-minute standing ovation.

The '80s set Alpha imagines a fictitious epidemic closely inspired by the AIDS crisis, following Alpha, a troubled 13-year-old who lives with her single mom, who her classmates reject because of a rumor spreading that she's been infected with a new disease. One day, she returns from school with a tattoo on her arm and her and her mother's world collapse. Newcomer Melissa Boros plays Alpha, with Golshifteh Farahani as the mother. Tahar Rahim and Emma Mackey co-star, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The much-awaited film Alpha from Palme d'Or-winning director Julia Ducournau has released its first teaser trailer.

The film stars Melissa Boros as Alpha and Golshifteh Farahani as her mother. The cast also includes Tahar Rahim, Emma Mackey, Finnegan Oldfield, and Louai El Amrousy.Alpha is produced by Jean des Forets and Amelie Jacquis of Petit Film, and Eric & Nicolas Altmayer of Mandarin & Compagnie, with Frakas Productions joining as co-producers.

Neon holds the rights for North America, while Charades and FilmNation Entertainment are handling international sales. This is Ducournau's first feature since her 2021 film Titane, which won the top prize at Cannes. 'Alpha' will be released in U.S. theatres later this fall. (ANI)