– CANNES 2026: Surfing, youth, unconditional love and the shadow of death under the Californian sun feature in Phuong Mai Nguyen’s exciting and poignant debut animated feature film
“Everything slows down, even though it only lasts a fraction of a second. I thought I was going to fly away. It was magical.” Manhattan Beach, Huntington Beach, Bolsa Chica: it is on the shores of the Pacific that the Franco-Vietnamese filmmaker Phuong Mai Nguyen chose to set her beautiful debut animated feature film, In Waves, which brilliantly opened the 65th Critics’ Week at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
Adapted (by Fanny Burdino and Samuel Doux) from the eponymous comic book by the American AJ Dungo, the film recounts, with great sensitivity and superb narrative and visual artistry, six years of a profound young love marked by fate and a sense of “now or never”, even in its most heart-wrenching moments.
“I was 16 when I met Kristen. She wasn’t interested in me at all.” AJ, a shy schoolboy with a passion for skateboarding and a talent for drawing, falls in love at first sight with a beautiful girl from his neighbourhood. It is the kind of dreamy teenage crush that takes time to materialise, but a connection gradually forms thanks to his friend Francisco and with the help of Jeff and Eon — the girl’s brother and cousin — who share the same passion for skateboarding. As for Kristen, surfing is her sole obsession, and she decides to help AJ overcome his fear of the water (“As long as I’m here, no one’s going to drown”; “Get right into the centre — the wave coming in is perfect. On my signal, paddle”). One thing leads to another, and a romance blossoms. But a devastating revelation soon emerges: Kristen has cancer. It is now AJ’s turn to support her as they enter a new stage of life overshadowed by the prospect of death…
Skillfully navigating between its deeply romantic and cruelly dramatic central narrative, black-and-white excursions into the distant origins of surfing in Hawaii, and flash-forward sequences of AJ alone — travelling in a camper van by the seaside, sketching out his story with Kristen — In Waves generates profound empathy for its immensely endearing characters and an intrinsically moving situation. Yet beyond its powerful humanity, offering both an impressive lesson in life and a demonstration of the healing force of love and friendship amid hardship, the film also emerges as a work of striking artistic ambition. Deep focus, dissolves, split screens, inspired use of locations and settings — the ocean, the waves, urban tunnels, the Hawaiian jungle, waterfalls and the Multnomah Falls bridge — alongside an excellent score by Oklou and Rob, all contribute to a rich spectrum of qualities that make the film a remarkable achievement.
In Waves was produced by Silex Films (France) and co-produced by France 3 Cinéma, Panique! (Belgium), Gao Shan Pictures and Charades (who handles international sales).
(Translated from French)
