Coward

“The beautiful Coward tells the story of a blossoming love between two soldiers.” – VPRO Cinema

With Coward, internationally acclaimed filmmaker Lukas Dhont delivers a powerful and profoundly affecting story about love in times of war, the vulnerability beneath masculinity and the liberating power of art. The film celebrated its world premiere in the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where leading actors Emmanuel Macchia (Pierre) and Valentin Campagne (Francis) jointly received the Best Actor award. Remarkably, Coward marks the feature film debut of Macchia, whom Dhont discovered at a school of landscape architecture. Inspired by historical photographs of First World War soldiers staging theatrical performances just behind the front lines, often dressed in women’s clothing, Dhont has crafted an intimate yet sweeping wartime drama about courage, desire and the extraordinary power of human connection. Coward is Belgium’s official submission for the 2027 Academy Awards.