A 13-minute standing ovation greeted Coward at its Cannes world premiere, making it one of the strongest audience responses in this year's main competition.
Lukas Dhont's new film follows Pierre, a soldier at the World War I front, and Francis, who stages a theater show behind the lines as the two seek brief escape from wartime brutality.
Dhont told the Cannes crowd to share "love, not war" and has said the film grew from a black-and-white photo of a cross-dressed performer entertaining soldiers near the front.
The premiere extends Dhont's Cannes track record after Close competed in 2022 and Girl won in Un Certain Regard in 2018; Mubi already bought Coward for multiple international territories.
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How does a WWI drama titled *Coward* redefine heroism through queer love and artistic expression rather than combat?