Lila Pinell's 'Shana' Premieres at Cannes Directors' Fortnight

French filmmaker Lila Pinell expands her short film 'Le Roi David' (2023) into the feature 'Shana', which premiered at the Directors' Fortnight of the 79th Cannes Film Festival. The film stars Eva Huault and Noémie Lvovsky, following a young woman caught between the desire for emancipation and the impossibility of finding her own place. Shana maintains an abusive relationship with an incarcerated small-time dealer and struggles to keep his business afloat. The narrative deepens into a drama of invisible wounds, exploring emotional detachment, family fracture, and identity. Shana's family emigrated from Morocco; after her mother left for the south with a new partner, Shana was placed in foster care at age twelve. A recurring motif is a gold-and-emerald bird-shaped ring inherited from her grandmother, symbolizing continuity, emancipation, and flight. Pinell avoids therapeutic resolution, instead showing how Shana learns to inhabit her fractures. The film balances tragicomedy with poignant observation, with Huault's performance oscillating between fragility and insolence.