Overview

• An 11-member independent CNC commission chose the film on September 17 to represent France in the 2026 Best International Feature race.
• The Franco‑Iranian coproduction, majority‑produced by Les Films Pelléas, is only the second non‑French‑language feature France has submitted after 2015's Mustang, with the CNC presenting the move as support for creators barred from working at home.
• Panahi, convicted in 2010 and long banned from working in Iran, has made his recent films clandestinely, including this Palme d'Or winner.
• The selection came over finalists including Richard Linklater's Nouvelle Vague, Ugo Bienvenu's Arco, Hafsia Herzi's La Petite Dernière and Rebecca Zlotowski's Vie privée.
• Key dates are the Academy's December 15 shortlist and January 22 nominations ahead of the March 15 ceremony, and the race includes contenders such as Kleber Mendonça Filho's L'Agent secret and other Cannes-lauded entries.