Cannes 2025 (Directors’ Fortnight): Death Does Not Exist (dir. Félix Dufour-Laperrière) | Review

Resistance is born from courage, and courage comes from within. But are we truly ready to stand up and defy the corrupt power that holds us down?

In Canadian filmmaker Félix Dufour-Laperrière’s fourth film—his third animated feature—Death Does Not Exist (La mort n’existe pas), a group of young activists attempts to attack a luxurious house where a particularly wealthy and influential couple is staying. These elites hold power because they own everything: the forests, the land, the houses, the entire town. Hélène and her companions seek to disrupt the status quo and become the spark that ignites a broader rebellion. They’re prepared to target the landowners, destroying their phones to erase any trace and strategizing their next moves. Hélène charges forward, her anger fueling her every step, but beneath that fierce determination, she’s filled with doubt and fear, unsure of the path she’s about to take.

When the assault doesn’t go as planned, Hélène—who freezes as her companions are shot at during the battle—flees into the forest, abandoning those who are dying behind. Manon, one of her friends and accomplices, returns to haunt her. The forest no longer seems the same, and Hélène is forced to revisit her convictions and choices in a situation where she must reassess herself in a world that is unstable and full of chaos.

The rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, the brave and the hesitant—Félix Dufour-Laperrière’s film stirs not only rebellion against a symbol of wealth and power but also examines the emotional fractures within a resistance movement. Death Does Not Exist is a story of radicalism and yearning for change, yet it is hindered by one of its own. A story driven by intense anger and powerful desire ignited in an attempt to stir the world—only to clash with the boundaries of the characters’ own actions and inner struggles.

Fear and loyalty collide in this story, as Hélène is forced to face her own unpreparedness and the devastating truth that her failure to commit has cost her the lives of those she loves. Yet amidst the sorrow and destruction, hope lingers—floating through the forest, tangled in regret and grief. It is here, in the interplay between despair and resilience, that Félix Dufour-Laperrière finds the profound beauty of resistance and identity. Through layered visuals in muted hues of green, yellow, red, and grey, the film evokes both darkness and grace, balancing a grim narrative with haunting imagery. The stylized images reinforce the film’s emotional weight—a bleak but moving story about resistance, sacrifice, and survival in the face of indifference and cruelty from those in power.

Death Does Not Exist’s rich visual pleasures are matched by a thoughtful narrative that elevates this haunting and deeply hopeful story to a unique level of emotionality.

Death Does Not Exist is produced by Nicolas and Félix Dufour-Laperrière for Embuscade Films—who also produced the director’s previous works—and by Emmanuel-Alain Raynal and Pierre Baussaron for Miyu Productions, the acclaimed animation studio behind Flóra Anna Buda’s Palme d’Or-winning 27 and Chicken for Linda!.

The film will be released in France by UFO Distribution and in Canada by Maison 4:3. Best Friend Forever is handling international sales.

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