The Green Eyes
| The Green Eyes | |
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 French promotional poster | |
| French | Les Yeux Verts |
| Directed by |
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| Screenplay by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Victor Seguin |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Amine Bouhafa |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Filmcoopi Zürich AG |
Release dates |
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Running time | 118 minutes |
| Countries |
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The Green Eyes (French: Les Yeux Verts) is a 2026 drama film directed by Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh, and co-written with Guillaume Laurant. A co-production between France, Belgium and Sweden, it follows the eleven-year-old refugee Chaya in Southwestern France, while her brother Nour suffers from resignation syndrome.[1][2]
The film had its world premiere as the opening film of the 79th Locarno Film Festival on 5 August 2026.[3][4]
Synopsis
Chaya, an eleven-year-old girl, resides in a small village in the Landes region of France with her father, Rafi, and her older brother, Nour. After the family receives notice of eviction, Rafi departs abruptly, leaving his children without support. In the aftermath, Nour gradually enters a prolonged and unexplained sleep identified as resignation syndrome. Chaya attempts to revive him and begins exploring her own dreams in an effort to reach him.
Cast
- Douae Butarbuch M’Zaouki as Chaya
- Sayyid El Alami as Nour
- Anamaria Vartolomei as Marion
- Arcadi Radeff as Benjamin
- Omar Aljbaai as Rafi, father
Production
Filming took place from 26 May to 16 July 2025 in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and the South Region. [5]
Release
The Green Eyes had its world premiere at the 79th Locarno Film Festival on 5 August 2026, as the opening film of the festival.[6][7]
Paris-based Kinology acquired the international sales rights of the film and pre-sold it to Cinart for Benelux region, Filmcoopi Zürich, (Switzerland), Chantier Films Turkey, and MegaCom Film for the former Yugoslavia region (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia).[8]
The film will be theatrically released in France on 11 November 2026 by Haut et Court.[9]
Reception
Reviewing the film for ScreenDaily, at Locarno Film Festival, Amber Wilkinson praised the film for its atmospheric visual style and technical craftsmanship. She commended Victor Seguin's cinematography, noting the "majestic drone photography" and evocative camerawork "that feels in touch with the natural world, but also feels fable-like." Wilkinson also admired the film's immersive sound design. Criticizing narrative, Wilkinson opined that it was less successful than its visual ambitions. Albeit Butarbuch M'Zaouki delivered a compelling performance as Chaya, Wilkinson felt that the film's emphasis on imagery often overshadows its storytelling, with visual metaphors feeling "more manufactured than organic." She concluded that, despite its sincere emotional intentions, the film's "lightweight characterisation" and "hurried ending" make it "less affecting than it aims to be."[10]
Award
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locarno Film Festival | 15 August 2026 | Prix du Public UBS | The Green Eyes | Pending | [11] |
References
- ↑ "Les Yeux verts" [The Green Eyes]. SensCritique (in French). 9 July 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
- ↑ "Locarno Film Festival – The Green Eyes". Locarno Film Festival. 9 July 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
- ↑ Balaga, Marta (July 9, 2026). "Locarno Festival Announces 'Adventurous' Lineup Featuring Caleb Landry Jones, Isabelle Huppert, Hong Sang-soo and Monica Bellucci". Variety. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie (9 July 2026). "Locarno: Lakeside Fest Unveils 2026 Selection With Hong Sang-soo, Basil Da Cunha, Gurvinder Singh & Denis Côté Pictures In Competition". Deadline. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
- ↑ "Les Yeux verts" [The Green Eyes]. france.tv (in French). 26 May 2025. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
- ↑ Szalai, Georg (9 July 2026). "Hong Sang-soo, Albert Serra, Vincent Grashaw Films Set for Locarno Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
- ↑ Del Don, Muriel (9 July 2026). "Locarno unveils the line-up for its parallel sections". Cineuropa. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
- ↑ Balaga, Marta (4 August 2026). "'Gagarine' Directors Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh Talk 'The Gre for en Eyes' as Kinology Announces First Sales: 'Dreamers Know No Borders' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "Les Yeux Verts" [The Green Eyes]. Allocine (in French). 5 June 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
- ↑ Amber Wilkinson (6 August 2026). "'The Green Eyes' review: Locarno opener is visually striking, tonally uneven French asylum drama". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "Locarno Film Festival – Prix du Public UBS". Locarno Film Festival. 9 July 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026.