“Cannes celebrates everything I love about cinema, Pierre Salvadori said, direction, boldness, freedom, and filmmakers. Cannes discovers them, supports them, and celebrates them. In its own way, my film embodies all the faith and love I have for my craft. I am so proud and happy that it’s kicking off the Festival!”
A leading figure of highly acclaimed French comedies, Pierre Salvadori presents his 11th feature film in 34 years. He brings together the stars of contemporary French cinema and sets his period fable, a first in his filmography, against the backdrop of the bustling Paris of the early 20th century. His recurring themes remain ever-present, however: lies, ambiguity, and pretense. The imaginings of the Roaring Twenties, marked by artistic effervescence, popular entertainment, and spiritualism, permeate this film, which remains faithful to the poetic cinema of Pierre Salvadori, who blends narrative freedom, melancholy, and humor like no other. Drawing inspiration from sophisticated Hollywood comedy, with its brisk pace, confusion between lies and truth, and precision in writing and direction, this fervent admirer of Ernst Lubitsch, Billy Wilder and Blake Edwards creates unique, novelistic worlds rooted in a social reality that explores human relationships and the vulnerabilities of battered characters on their difficult quest for happiness.
True to form, Pierre Salvadori offers his actors unparalleled creative freedom. The dazzling cast of La Vénus électrique brings together actors who are regulars on the Croisette and beloved by the general public. Leading the way, Pio Marmaï (The Divide, Competition 2021) marks his fourth collaboration with Pierre Salvadori following In the Courtyard (2014), The Trouble with You (2018), and La Petite Bande (2022). Anaïs Demoustier (The Count of Monte Cristo, Out of Competition 2024; Along Came Love, Cannes Premiere 2023; November, Out of Competition 2022) is reunited with Gilles Lellouche (Beating Hearts, Competition 2024; The Stronghold, Out of Competition 2021; Sink or Swim, Out of Competition 2018), following Smoking Causes Coughing (Midnight Screening 2022). They are joined by Vimala Pons and Gustave Kervern, two distinctive talents who skillfully tread the line between drama and comedy.
Ever since writing his first screenplay—which would become his debut film, Wild Target (1993), four years later—Pierre Salvadori has been working with producer Philippe Martin of Les Films Pelléas, who has produced all of his films since his 1992 short film, Ménage.
La Vénus électrique follows Leave One Day, Amélie Bonnin’s first feature film, which opened the 78th Festival de Cannes.
On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, the opening ceremony of the 79th Festival de Cannes, hosted by Eye Haïdara, will be broadcast live on France Télévisions and Brut.
Across France, numerous cinemas will also screen the ceremony, followed by the opening film, with the support of the Fédération Nationale des Cinémas Français and in partnership with France Télévisions and Brut.
