Asghar Farhadi brought "Parallel Tales" to the Cannes red carpet on Thursday, unveiling a Paris-set competition entry he said breaks cinematic "red lines" he had long imposed on himself.
Farhadi told Reuters the film uses a more playful structure than his earlier work, marking a formal shift for the two-time Oscar winner, who has lived outside Iran since 2023.
"Parallel Tales" follows a homeless thief played by Adam Bessa whose good deed draws him into a reclusive writer's world; after stealing her manuscript, he sets off spying and distrust among sound-studio workers.
The cast includes Isabelle Huppert, Vincent Cassel, Virginie Efira and Pierre Niney, who described Farhadi as exacting down to placing water drops on costumes himself.
The premiere is Farhadi's fifth bid for the Palme d'Or, extending a festival career that includes Berlin's top prize for "A Separation" and Oscars for "A Separation" and "The Salesman."
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