Norwegian director Joachim Trier received an overwhelming 19-minute standing ovation following the world premiere of his new film Sentimental Value at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday night.
The film, Trier’s sixth feature, is competing for the coveted Palme d’Or – one of the world’s most prestigious film awards – which will be presented on Saturday, May 24.
“Expectations for this film were high, and the reception here in Cannes proves that Joachim Trier delivers filmmaking of the very highest calibre. We are in a golden age of Norwegian cinema, and this marks a new high point in Joachim Trier’s artistic journey and his creative partnerships,” said Kjersti Mo, Director of the Norwegian Film Institute.
An Emotional Trier Thanked the Audience
A visibly moved Joachim Trier addressed the audience after the screening, referencing Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel:
“What was that Buñuel quote again? ‘I make films for my friends’? Tonight, I feel like you’re all my friends.”
The film follows actress Nora (played by Renate Reinsve) and her sister Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss Lilleaas) as their eccentric and charismatic father Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård) suddenly reappears in their lives after a long absence. Once a renowned film director, Gustav now offers Nora the lead role in his new movie – but working with her father is the last thing she wants.
Sentimental Value, previously known under the working title Film No. 6, is written by Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier, and produced by Maria Ekerhovd (Mer Film) and Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (Eye Eye Picture). The film is set to premiere in Norwegian cinemas on 12 September 2025.
With this film, Trier and his long-time collaborator Vogt continue to explore complex human relationships with psychological depth and aesthetic precision – and the reaction in Cannes suggests they’ve once again struck a powerful international chord.
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