Festival de Cannes 2025, Eagles of The Republic, Alpha and Highest 2 Lowest

Highest 2 Lowest ©YesICannes.com

The Cannes Film Festival presented Eagles of The Republic by Tarik Saleh, Alpha by Julia Ducournau, and Highest 2 Lowest by Spike Lee.

©YesICannes.com

Highest 2 Lowest: the Festival de Cannes 2025 competition enters its second half with screenings of Eagles of The Republic by Tarik Saleh and Alpha by Julia Ducournau. Eagles of the Republic is the final part of the Cairo trilogy by the Swedish director of Egyptian origin, following Cairo Confidential in 2017 and The Conspiracy of Cairo in 2022, which won the Best Screenplay award at Cannes. Julia Ducournau, Palme d’Or in 2021 with Titane, returns to the Croisette with the story of a little girl facing the AIDS (?) epidemic in the 1980s. At last, the event of the day was the Out of Competition screening of the crime thriller Highest 2 Lowest by Spike Lee with Denzel Washington who was presented a surprise Palme d’Or of honor by Thierry Frémaux and Iris Knobloch.

Eagles of the Republic ©YigitEken

Whirlwind of betrayals and manipulations

With Eagles of The Republic, Tarik Saleh once again confirms his talent for exploring the intricacies of power, corruption, and ideological struggles. This film, which follows in the line of his previous works dedicated to the high Egyptian political and religious spheres of Cairo: The Nile Hilton Incident or Cairo Conspiracy, is a captivating dive into a complex political universe, where the lines between good and evil are constantly blurred.

Eagles of The Republic ©YesICannes.com

The story, which seems to draw inspiration from historical or contemporary contexts, follows a group of characters with ambiguous motivations, caught in a whirlwind of betrayals and manipulations. Saleh excels at creating a tense, almost oppressive atmosphere, where every dialogue, every glance, seems laden with subtext. The photography, dark and stylized, reinforces this atmosphere of conspiracy, while the minimalist yet effective soundtrack heightens the sense of urgency.

©DR

A pure film noir

A beloved actor George El-Nabawi (Fares Fares, Tarik Saleh’s favorite actor, for whom he writes) falls out of favor with the authorities. To regain his status, he has no choice but to accept a particular shooting: that of President Al-Sissi, in a biopic glorifying him. He then finds himself thrust into the inner workings of power and quickly realizes that he is not only at risk of losing his soul there, but that he is constantly in danger. “The Eagles of the Republic is a pure film noir, just like Cairo Confidential. At its core, there is an existential and fundamental question: “Should I bow down to this system?” Saleh explains, who does not seek to entertain, but to provoke reflection in light of the density of political and historical stakes. With its complex political narrative and captivating atmosphere, Eagles of The Republic is a demanding yet rewarding film that confirms Tarik Saleh as one of the most talented and ambitious directors of his generation.

Alpha ©Mandarin & Compagnie Kallouche Cinéma Frakas Production France 3 Cinéma

Exploration of identity and transformation

Julia Ducournau, known for her provocative and visceral approach to cinema with films like Raw in 2016 with Garance Marillier and Titane, Palme d’Or 2021 with Agathe Rousselle, continues to push the boundaries with Alpha. This film, although different in its narrative, retains the director’s trademark: an intense and often disturbing exploration of themes of identity, transformation, and the limits of the human body. In the 80s, Alpha (Mélissa Boros), a restless 13-year-old pre-adolescent, is shunned by her classmates because rumors spread that she has a new disease, transmissible by blood (AIDS ?). Alpha lives alone with her mother (French-Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani), and their world changes when Amin, Alpha’s uncle (Tahar Rahim), infected with the virus. One day, Alpha get tatooed on her arm with needles and fear sets in.

Julia Ducournau ©Carole Betuel

The body as a battleground

Alpha immerses the viewer in a universe where the boundaries between reality and nightmare are constantly blurred. The story blends elements of psychological horror by following a character in search of redemption or reinvention, confronted with choices that challenge social and biological norms. Ducournau uses her distinctive visual style to create an atmosphere that is both hypnotic and oppressive, where each image seems laden with symbolism. In this bold and unsettling work that confirms Julia Ducournau as one of the most original and provocative voices in contemporary cinema, we find Franco-Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani and actor Tahar Rahim. The transformation scenes, often brutal and graphic, are handled with surgical precision, reminiscent of Ducournau’s obsession with the body as a battleground for conflict and metamorphosis. Also, like her previous films, Alpha will not be to everyone’s taste…

Highest 2 Lowest ©DR

Tribute to Akira Kurosawa

With Highest 2 Lowest, Spike Lee returns for the sixth time to La Croisette with a police thriller shot in New York. A music mogul (Denzel Washington), reputed to have the best ears in the business, becomes the target of a ransom demand that forces him into a moral dilemma, between life and death. Longtime collaborators, Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for the fifth time in this adaptation of the noir film High and Low by the great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, set in the underbelly of New York today. This film, which seems to follow in the line of his works like Do the Right Thing, BlacKkKlansman, or Chi-Raq, is a bold exploration of social inequalities, racial tensions, and struggles for justice. It perfectly embodies his social commitment and his talent for telling stories that resonate deeply with contemporary realities.

Denzel Washington ©YesICannes.com

Social inequalities and moral dilemmas

The film features an impressive cast, including Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, Ice Spice, and A$AP Rocky. The latter, in his first film role, embodies Yung Felon, a rapper in search of recognition. Spike Lee transposes the plot from Tokyo to New York, exploring social inequalities and moral dilemmas in the contemporary American context. Lee uses his distinctive visual style – featuring iconic shots, dynamic editing, and expressive use of color – to create an immersive and impactful cinematic experience. The film exudes urgency and tension, reflecting the protagonist’s frenzied rise and the fragility of their success. The soundtrack, often composed of soul, jazz, or hip-hop music, adds an emotional and rhythmic dimension to the narrative. Often impactful and laden with meaning, the dialogues reflect Lee’s skill in blending humor, anger, and poetry. Highest 2 Lowest does not merely tell an individual story, but paints a broader picture of the social and economic dynamics that allow some to rise and condemn others to stay at the bottom.