Asghar Farhadi’s thriller will be only the second non-English, non-French film to open the festival

Photo Courtesy of TheWrap

“Everybody Knows,” starring Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz and Ricardo Darin, will open the 71st Cannes Film Festival, festival organizers announced on Thursday.

Asghar Farhadi directed the psychological thriller, and the film is the second film that is not in English or French to open the festival after Pedro Almodovar’s “Bad Education” in 2004.

“Everybody Knows,” written by Farhadi, follows Laura (Cruz) who travels from Buenos Aires to her native village in Spain with her family. However, the big family reunion is disrupted by events that change the character’s lives.

Iranian director Farhadi had two films in the Cannes competition previously — “The Salesman” in 2016 and “The Past” in 2013. “The Salesman” won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film.

The Cannes Opening Ceremony will be held on May 8th and will be broadcast free-to-air by Canal + as well as in partner cinemas and followed by the preview screening of the film in select theaters in France.

“Everybody Knows” is produced by Memento Films Production and Morena Films. International sales are being handled by Memento Films International and the French distribution by Memento Films. The film will be released on May 9 in French cinemas.