Films
The Birthday Party
Histoires de la Nuit
A film by Léa Mysius
France, Belgium, 2026, 104'
National Premiere
In an isolated swampy region of rural France, Thomas prepares a surprise party for his wife Nora's 40th birthday while their daughter and their mysterious neighbour Cristina, a painter played by Monica Bellucci, help with the preparations. The celebration is abruptly interrupted when three strangers arrive, triggering a violent home invasion that exposes long-buried secrets and transforms the evening into a nightmare. Adapted from the novel “Histoires de la Nuit”, director Léa Mysius (“The Five Devils”) crafts an intense home-invasion thriller where suspense intertwines with family drama and identity proves to be as unstable as truth itself. Nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, “The Birthday Party” further confirms Mysius as one of the most singular voices in contemporary French cinema.
In an isolated swampy region of rural France, Thomas prepares a surprise party for his wife Nora's 40th birthday while their daughter and their mysterious neighbour Cristina, a painter played by Monica Bellucci, help with the preparations. The celebration is abruptly interrupted when three strangers arrive, triggering a violent home invasion that exposes long-buried secrets and transforms the evening into a nightmare. Adapted from the novel “Histoires de la Nuit”, director Léa Mysius (“The Five Devils”) crafts an intense home-invasion thriller where suspense intertwines with family drama and identity proves to be as unstable as truth itself. Nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, “The Birthday Party” further confirms Mysius as one of the most singular voices in contemporary French cinema.
Credits
Director Léa Mysius Script Léa Mysius Producer Jean-Louis Liu, Jean-Louis Livi, Marie-Ange Luciani Cast Hafsia Herzi, Benoît Magimel, Bastien Bouillon, Monica Bellucci, Tawba El Gharchi Language French Subtitles Portuguese, English Sales MK2 Distribution NOS Lusomundo Audiovisuais
Léa Mysius
Director "The Birthday Party"