[Film Festival Issue] The Opening Film of the 79th Cannes Film Festival: Pierre Salvadori’s “La Venus Électrique” Selected

“The 79th Cannes Film Festival” opens with “Pierre Salvadori”’s “La Venus Électrique”

On May 12, 2026, French cinema master “Pierre Salvadori”’s latest work, “La Venus Électrique”, has been officially and sensationally selected as the opening film of the “79th Cannes Film Festival”, drawing intense attention from around the world. The film will have its world premiere at the Lumière Grand Theatre immediately after the opening ceremony, with the event hosted by actor “Eye Haïdara”. At the same time, the film has also secured confirmed theatrical releases across France, further heightening anticipation among global moviegoers.

Spanning 34 years in film, director Salvadori delivers his 11th feature and the first period drama of his career. Meticulously set in 1920s Paris, the film vividly rekindles the spirit of the so-called “Roaring Twenties”—an era where deception and showmanship, as well as mass entertainment and the occult, all blended together. His trademark freewheeling storytelling and razor-sharp comic instincts are on full display, and the director showcases a distinctive cinematic sensibility by bringing the crisp craftsmanship of classic Hollywood comedy into a contemporary frame.

1928 Paris, where art, fraud, and fateful love collide

“La Venus Électrique” unfolds in 1928 Paris, portraying the uncanny—yet destined—encounter between a painter teetering on the edge of death and a destitute traveling troupe member. In the city’s most celebrated painter, “Antoine Balastreau”, who has lost his beloved wife and spiraled into despair, snaps his brush and tries to reach his late wife through a medium. But in the process, he’s drawn into a con artist “Suzanne”, who sneaks in to steal food—triggering an unexpected disaster and igniting a surge of creativity. What starts as a fragile, scam-fueled connection gradually blooms into artistic inspiration and an uncontrollable love, gripping audiences with high-stakes tension.

A star-studded cast that’s driving momentum in French contemporary cinema is a must-see for plenty of reasons. A flawless ensemble takes over the screen with Cannes-favored leading actors, including “Pio Marmai”, “Anaïs Demoustier”, and “Gilles Lellouche”. Production is handled by the esteemed company “Les Films Pelléas”, and the film opens Cannes in a way that promises to light up the festival’s night on May 12, 2026.