THE FENCE

(Le Cri des gardes)

West Coast Premiere | France | 2026 | Drama | 109 min | In English |
Directed by: Claire Denis
Written by: Claire Denis, Suzanne Lindon, Andrew Litvack
Based on the Book by: Bernard-Marie Koltès
Produced by: Olivier Delbosc (Curiosa Films), Gary Farkas (Vixens Films), Anthony Vaccarello (Saint Laurent Productions), Souleymane Kébé (Astou Films), Arte France Cinéma
Cinematography: Éric Gautier
Original Score: Tindersticks
Film Editing: Guy Lecorne, Sandie Bompar
Cast: Tom Blyth (Cal), Mia McKenna-Bruce (Leonie), Matt Dillon (Horn)
Isaach de Bankolé (Alboury)
International Sales: Goodfellas

Synopsis

An endless fence separates a sprawling West African construction site from the native landscape and population. Inside, Horn, the white boss, stands wielding his power. Outside, a Black man named Alboury appears, demanding the body of his brother, who died in an on-site accident… and refusing to budge until it is returned to him. The stand-off threatens to last all night long. Claire Denis once again brings her astute eye to both the mechanics of neocolonialism and latent human desire. Her frequent collaborator, actor Isaach de Bankolé, as Alboury, turns in yet another mesmerizing, truly transcendent performance.

Director’s biography

Claire Denis is one of the most celebrated filmmakers of her generation. Born in Paris and raised in colonial West Africa, her work has often explored the political and human themes of colonialism and its aftermath through a very personal, often intensely sensual lens. After working as an assistant director for such groundbreaking filmmakers as Jacques Rivette, Costa-Gavras and Wim Wenders in the ’70s and ’80s, she burst onto the international scene in 1988 with her semi-autobiographical, critically-acclaimed first feature Chocolat, which debuted in Cannes and was nominated for a César for Best First Film. Her subsequent films include Nenette and Boni (1996), which won the Golden Leopard in Locarno; Beau Travail (COLCOA 2000), which has been hailed as one of the greatest films of its time; Trouble Every Day (2001); 36 Shots of Rum (2008), which won the Art Cinema Award in Hamburg; White Material (2009); Let the Sunshine In (2017), which won the Cannes Directors Fortnight SACD Prize; Both Sides of the Blade (2022), which garnered the Silver Bear for Best Director in Berlin; and Stars at Noon (2022), which nabbed the Palme d’Or in Cannes. Among her numerous accolades, she was honored with an Honorary Jean Vigo Award in 2021, and a Career Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Critics Association in 2022. The Fence premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.