GURU

(Gourou)

Exclusive Presentation – Closing Film | France, Belgium | 2026 | Drama, Psychological Thriller | 126′ min | In French with English subtitles and in English |
Directed by: Yann Gozlan
Written by: Jean-Baptiste Delafon, Yann Gozlan
Produced by: Wassim Béji (WY Productions), Pierre Niney & Marc-Henri de Busschère (Ninety Productions), Gaëtan David & André Logie (Panache Productions), M6 Films
Cinematography: Antoine Sanier
Original Score: Chloé Thévenin
Film Editing: Grégoire Sivan
Cast: Pierre Niney (Mathieu Vasseur), Marion Barbeau (Adèle), Anthony Bajon (Julien), Holt McCallany (Peter Conrad), Leanna Chea (Sonia)
International Sales: StudioCanal

Synopsis

High school dropout-turned-master of manipulation, Matt Vasseur has become a superstar life coach, leading crowds of avid followers in highly-choreographed, super-charged motivational events. Then a senate committee forms, demanding that coaches have actual credentials, and Matt’s celebrity status slowly begins to falter. Director Yann Gozlan and César Award-winning actor Pierre Niney team up, once again, in another taut tale of success, power and greed. And once again (after Gozlan’s A Perfect Man and Black Box) Niney’s social-climbing protagonist seems to have been christened with the very same moniker: “Mathieu Vasseur.”

Director’s biography

A TAFFF regular, writer-director Yann Gozlan turned his back on economics early on, began making experimental films in video and Super8, then went on to write and direct two shorts, Pellis (2004) and Écho (2006). His first feature, the horror film Caged (2010), nabbed Best Film and Best Actress Awards at Screamfest in L.A.  He followed that with a string of psychological thrillers: A Perfect Man (opening film, COLCOA 2015); Burn Out (COLCOA 2018); Black Box (COLCOA 2021), which was nominated for five César Awards; and Visions (2023). He also served as co-writer on Thomas Kruithof’s chilling espionage thriller, The Eavesdropper (COLCOA 2017). His recently-released The Residence, which premiered as a Midnight Screening at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, is also being screened at TAFFF this year. Guru is scheduled to be released in France on January 29, 2026.