When her grandmother dies, Shana inherits a ring that is supposed to protect her from bad luck. And wow, does she need it! After all, Shana must not only navigate the trials and tribulations of everyday life with the support of her group of friends. Her toxic partner is also being released from prison. So, all sorts of misfortunes are piling up…
This is the set-up for Shana, a French comedy-drama directed by Lila Pinell, which world premieres in the Directors’ Fortnight (Quinzaine des cinéastes) program during the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The filmmaker’s second feature and her first as a solo director is an adaptation the short film Le Roi David, which she wrote and directed.
Produced by Ecce Films and CG Cinema, international sales are handled by Les Films du Losange.
Starring Eva Huault, who was also the lead in Le Roi David, and Noémie Lvovsky, the movie takes audiences through the environment around the protagonist. “Her character moves around, like the ring, from one story, world or situation to the next,” highlights Pinell in a director’s statement. “In that respect, she is a wonderful narrative engine. Shana gets everything around her moving and stops those worlds from closing in on themselves. She sticks her foot in the door, she knocks down fences. She is in her own right a principle of motion.”
About Shana, she says: “There is, in her, the desire for emancipation but she is not really able to put her finger on it. It leads her into confrontational situations and conflicts that seem to resolve nothing.”
A trailer for Shana, which THR can now exclusively debut, we meet the protagonist, her friends and a whole lot of her headaches. It also showcases her energy and outspokenness, including at a cemetery.
Watch the trailer for Shana here.
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