Cannes 2026 (Directors’ Fortnight): Shana (dir. Lila Pinell) | Review
Misery comes full circle in a fairly tangled tale of endurance and insecurity, intertwined with comedy and fantasy. Eva Huault’s natural performance lights Shana like a torch — an adult fairytale whose pages you’ll beg not to end.
The 2026 Directors’ Fortnight is just as remarkable as every edition before it — spanning continents, telling global stories, and above all, introducing unforgettable characters. One of them is Lila Pinell’s Shana, a portrait of a woman in deep trouble after losing a seemingly ordinary accessory that wields magical power: a ring.
Shana doesn’t need to ask for attention — attention finds her on its own. Her boyfriend is behind bars, leaving her to quietly run his drug business. Alongside this, she navigates life with a mother she can’t seem to get along with. She has a circle of friends who stand by her, but her family offers little support. Her grandmother suddenly passes away, leaving Shana a ring — a small treasure she doesn’t quite cherish but keeps close. But circumstances force her to sell it. And from that moment, a cascade of bad luck begins, testing Shana like never before — a full circle of trials.
Actress Eva Huault carries the entire film in her hands and makes it breathe, almost like a reality show where the audience walks right beside her. It vaguely reminded me of actress Charlotte Rampling, who said in an interview about acting in the film 45 Years, “I gave my everything for the film” — a parallel intensity pulses throughout this work. The film’s nucleus is Shana’s comedic characterization, which keeps it fresh and alive, where expressions and witty responses electrify the screen. And the writing? A quiet hero. Shana’s words sometimes become every woman’s unspoken thoughts, reshaped into a mesmerizing, perfect payback for every mockery and slight — a kind of triumph.
Director Pinell weaves Egyptian references and folklore — through Nassim El Mounabbih’s background score, which unexpectedly spins the story into a comic realm — together with Jewish culture, creating a fairytale atmosphere within the film. It plays like a modern storybook for grown-ups, layered with a genuine, intriguing mystery that never feels overbearing or misdirected. Instead, it cultivates a kind of novelty rarely found elsewhere. The narrative also incorporates the emotional weight of childhood adversity alongside adult insecurities, integrating them seamlessly into the story. Beneath the surface, this conveys a message that such emotional experiences can affect women regardless of their individual circumstances.
Mainly produced by Emmanuel Chaumet (Ecce Films) and Charles Gillibert (CG Cinéma), Pinell’s Shana introduces a cinematic hero you won’t want to look away from — a modern-day Xena living in a world that feels dark yet somehow blessed. Though she’s sensitive, Shana shows us how harsh words and judgmental thoughts can strip away a person’s modesty. But paradoxically, those same words can also ignite a fierce will to live.
In Shana, each new page reveals a discovery as precious as a golden ring — perhaps even priceless.
Our team is on site for the 79th Cannes Film Festival, from May 12 to 23, 2026.
