Cast members Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgard and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas pose on the red carpet during arrivals for the screening of the film ‘Sentimental Value’ in competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Joachim Trier’s latest feature Sentimental Value premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday night to an overwhelming response, earning a 19-minute standing ovation — this year’s longest so far. The film, part of the official competition, marks the Norwegian director’s third time competing for the Palme d’Or and reunites him with The Worst Person in the World star Renate Reinsve.

Premiering to a full house at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, the emotional reception extended into the early morning hours, with attendees applauding until nearly 1 a.m. Trier, visibly moved, addressed the audience after the screening, saying, “I’m very moved. Many of us struggled for years to make this film. What’s that Buñuel quote? ‘I make films for my friends’? I feel you’re all my friends tonight.”

Reinsve stars as Nora, a stage actress navigating a fraught reunion with her estranged father Gustav, played by Stellan Skarsgård. He’s a once-celebrated director hoping to stage a comeback by casting Nora in his new project. When she declines, the role is handed to a rising Hollywood star, played by Elle Fanning, setting off a chain of familial and artistic tensions. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas plays Nora’s younger sister Agnes, caught in the emotional crossfire.

The response at Cannes has already positioned Sentimental Value as a leading contender for the Palme d’Or, surpassing the 12-minute ovation received by Julia Ducournau’s Alpha earlier in the festival. Trier co-wrote the screenplay with longtime collaborator Eskil Vogt, continuing their creative partnership that began with Oslo, August 31st (2011) and Louder Than Bombs (2015).

North American rights for Sentimental Value were acquired in advance by Neon, which has distributed the last five Palme d’Or winners — Parasite, Titane, Triangle of Sadness, Anatomy of a Fall, and last year’s Oscar Best Picture winner, Anora. If Trier’s film wins, it would mark an unprecedented sixth consecutive Palme for the U.S. distributor. That possibility alone is already fueling buzz across the Croisette.

Mubi holds distribution rights in other international territories including India.