Tarik Saleh's Eagles of the Republic competes for the Palme d'Or

Lyna Khoudri and Fares Fares in Eagles of the Republic. Photo: ©Yigit Eken

Tarik Saleh's Eagles of the Republic has been selected to compete for the Cannes Film Festival's most prestigious award – the Palme d'Or. In the main competition, there is also Swedish co-production Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier starring Stellan Skarsgård.

Eagles of the Republic by Tarik Saleh

Egypt's most beloved actor, George Fahmy (Fares Fares), is pressured into playing the lead role in a film commissioned by the highest authority. He reluctantly accepts the role and is thrown headfirst into the inner circles of power. Like a moth drawn to a flame, he begins an affair with the mysterious wife of the general overseeing the film.

– Our ambition is always to tell stories for the whole world. There is no better stage to start from than Cannes. The creation of this film has been a minor miracle. Now we look forward to sharing it with our audience, says Tarik Saleh.

– We are incredibly happy about this, for Tarik's sake. He is not only an outstanding filmmaker but also a very brave one, a role model - invaluable for the development of Swedish film, says Anna Croneman, CEO of the Swedish Film Institute.

Eagles of the Republic is the third and final film in Tarik Saleh's "Cairo Trilogy" following the successes of The Nile Hilton Incident (2017) and Boy from Heaven (2022). The film's international star ensemble is led by the multi-award-winning Fares Fares, and featuring Cherien Dabis, Amr Wake, and Lyna Khoudri. The music is composed by the two-time Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel, 2014, The Imitation Game, 2014 and Shape of Water, 2017 among others).

Eagles of the Republic is written and directed by Tarik Saleh and produced by Linus Stöhr Torell / Unlimited Stories, Linda Mutawi, Johan Lindström / Apparaten, and Alexandre Mallet Guy / Memento Production, in co-production with, among others, SVT and Film i Väst. The film has received funding from the former film commissioner of the Swedish Film Institute, Lena Runge.

International sales are handled by Playtime, French distribution by Memento and SF Studios is distributing Pan-Nordic.

Co-productions

Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier

The film follows Nora (Renate Reinsve) and her sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) when their eccentric and charismatic father Gustav suddenly appears after a long absence. Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård) was once a renowned film director and now offers Nora the lead role in his new film, but working with her father is the last thing Nora can imagine.

Sentimental Value is a co-production between Norway, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, and France and is directed by Joachim Trier, who also wrote the screenplay together with Eskil Vogt. Swedish co-producer: Lizette Jonjic / Zentropa Sweden and Film i Väst with support from the Swedish Film Institute's film commissioner Theo Tsappos.

Also in main competition is The History of Sound by Oliver Hermanus, co-produced by Film i Väst / Filmgate Films, Sean Wheelan.

For Tarik Saleh interview requests, please contact Monday Relations:
Camilla Nasiell, camilla.nasiell@mondayrelations.se, +46 70 720 65 63

The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival takes place between May 13-24. Read more about the festival here.