Lukas Dhont On Subverting The War Film Genre With Cannes Title ‘Coward’: “Male Bonding Has Too Often Been Used As A Tool To Destroy”
Lukas Dhont's film 'Coward' explores the impact of war on male relationships during World War I. The story follows two soldiers who seek moments of joy amidst the brutality of conflict. Dhont aims to challenge traditional portrayals of male bonding in war films, emphasizing the potential for connection rather than destruction.
- ▪Lukas Dhont directed 'Coward', which is set during World War I and follows two soldiers.
- ▪The film highlights the theme of male bonding as a means of resistance against the horrors of war.
- ▪Dhont aims to subvert the typical war film narrative that often limits male characters to roles of violence.
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| Original publisher | Deadline |
| Canonical URL | https://deadline.com/2026/05/lukas-dhont-cannes-coward-war-film-genre-1236918751/ |
| Publication time | Fri, 22 May 2026 10:47:18 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-22T11:02:01.362Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-22T11:02:01.362Z |
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Lukas Dhont Aurore Marechal/Getty Images. “For me, the reason to make a film about the past is to say something about the present,” filmmaker Lukas Dhont said this morning during the press conference for his Cannes Competition title Coward. Directed by Dhont from a screenplay he wrote with Angelo Tijssens, Coward is set at the height of the First World War and follows Pierre, a soldier newly arrived at the front, who is eager to prove himself. Behind the lines, he meets Francis, who decides to lift the spirits of his comrades by putting together a theatre show. While the violence continues, both men try to find ways to escape the brutality of war, even if only for a moment.
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