The 78th Festival de Cannes Posters Pay Tribute to “A Man and a Woman”

For the first time in its history, the Festival de Cannes has unveiled two official posters for its 78th edition — a powerful homage to Claude Lelouch’s 1966 Palme d’Or-winning film A Man and a Woman. The imagery captures one of the most iconic embraces in cinema history, featuring Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant on a deserted beach beneath a stormy sky.

The dual posters present each of the film’s stars individually — a woman and a man, side by side, eternally connected. In a time when the world often feels divided, these posters are a cinematic call for unity, intimacy, and beauty.

A Love Scene That Became a Legend

“It was 60 years ago,” begins the festival’s poetic statement. In A Man and a Woman, two damaged souls — a widow and a widower — meet, resist, fall in love, and finally surrender to tenderness. What followed was a cinematic triumph: Palme d’Or at Cannes (1966), two Academy Awards (1967), and countless honors worldwide.

But awards pale in comparison to the memory of that moment: a man, a woman, a beach, a 20-second scene, and the eternity of an unforgettable embrace.

Cannes 2025: Embracing Unity and Emotion

In a world that feels increasingly fragmented, the 78th Festival de Cannes has chosen to respond with a message of connection and celebration. “During times that seem to want to separate, compartmentalize or subjugate, the Festival de Cannes wants to (re)unite,” the statement reads.

These posters are not only visual tributes but symbols of artistic resilience — a reminder that cinema can bring bodies, hearts, and souls closer together.

A Tribute to Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant

Both leads of A Man and a Woman are no longer with us. Anouk Aimée, who won Best Actress at Cannes in 1980, and Jean-Louis Trintignant, winner of Best Actor in 1969, remain immortalized through Lelouch’s lens and now through these two stunning posters.

The Cannes Festival notes: “Magnificent heroes of delicacy and seduction, they forever illuminate the film of our lives. This light no longer comes from the heavens… it emerges from the radiant fusion of two beings who reconcile us with life.”

The festival’s announcement captures the ephemeral yet lasting nature of cinema: “A man. A woman. A deserted beach. A turbulent sky. Intoxicating music. A 3-month-old idea. A 3-week shoot. A 20-second scene. Eternity lasts but a moment in the end.”

This poetic sequence reflects both the fragility and power of cinema, a form that captures emotions that defy time.

Poster Credits and Festival Dates

The official 2025 posters feature imagery from A Man and a Woman (1966), courtesy of Les Films 13, with graphic design by Hartland Villa.

The 78th Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 13 to May 24, 2025.