Hamaguchi film gets 11-minute ovation

Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden” drew an 11-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, according to The Hindu, which described it as the longest reception of the festival so far. The film screened in the main competition at Cannes, where Hamaguchi returned with his first French-language feature after “Drive My Car” helped raise his international profile. Cannes’ official materials list the film under its French title, “Soudain,” with a running time of 196 minutes and a multinational production spanning France, Japan, Germany and Belgium. The applause report matters in Cannes because ovation lengths are tracked closely during the festival, even though they are not an official prize or jury signal. Trade coverage on May 15 had already described the film’s premiere as one of the strongest audience responses of the event, though outlets differed on the precise duration. Variety reported a seven-minute ovation, while Deadline reported an 11-minute standing ovation. (thehindu.com) ### Which film are Cannes audiences responding to? “ Soudain (All of a Sudden)” is a drama directed by Hamaguchi and adapted from the correspondence between philosopher Maoko Miyano and anthropologist Maho Isono, according to Cannes festival materials. The official synopsis says the story follows two women whose friendship becomes a shared struggle to “make the impossible possible.” (variety.com) Cannes lists Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto at the top of the cast, alongside Kyozo Nagatsuka, Kodai Kurosaki, Jean-Charles Clichet and Marie Bunel. Festival photos published on May 16 showed Hamaguchi appearing at the Cannes photocall with Efira and Okamoto. ### Why is this film drawing attention beyond the ovation count? Hamaguchi arrived at Cannes with an established history at the festival. “Drive My Car” won best screenplay at Cannes in 2021 and later won the Academy Award for international feature film, giving his return to competition added attention from festival press and buyers. (festival-cannes.com) Deadline described “All of a Sudden” as a return to Cannes for the Oscar-winning filmmaker, while Time called it his first French-language picture. (festival-cannes.com) The film’s scale also stands out. The Hindu reported that “All of a Sudden” runs 3 hours and 16 minutes, and Cannes’ official page lists the duration at 196 minutes, making it one of the longest titles in this year’s main competition. Time’s review said the story centers on Marie-Lou, the director of a care home outside Paris, played by Efira. (deadline.com) ### Did reviews match the audience response? Time praised the film as “a wondrous work about caring for one another,” while Deadline’s review called it a “humane” exploration of French health care but said it could feel overly didactic. Those early notices pointed to a strong critical response, even if not all reviewers assessed the film the same way. (thehindu.com) The Hindu said the reception intensified Palme d’Or talk around the film, but that remains festival speculation rather than an official indicator. Cannes does not award prizes based on ovation length, and the main competition winner is chosen by the festival jury. (time.com) ### How much weight do Cannes ovations actually carry? Cannes standing ovations are a long-running festival ritual, and distributors, critics and publicists often use them as shorthand for immediate audience reaction. But ovation times are usually reported by journalists and trades rather than measured by the festival itself, which helps explain why different outlets sometimes publish different numbers for the same screening. (thehindu.com) The gap between Variety’s seven minutes and Deadline’s 11 minutes illustrates that point. ### What happens next for Hamaguchi’s film? The 79th Cannes Film Festival is continuing its competition screenings this week, with “Soudain (All of a Sudden)” remaining in the Palme d’Or lineup on the festival’s official program. The next formal milestone is the Cannes closing ceremony on May 24, when jury president Juliette Binoche and the 2026 competition jury are due to announce the Palme d’Or and the rest of the main awards. (variety.com) (festival-cannes.com)