May 24

May 24 L'Œil d'or awarded to best documentary at Cannes film festival 2026

Created in 2015 by the Cannes Film Festival and LaScam and supported by l’Ina, L’Œil d’or rewards the festival’s best non-fiction feature film, across all sections.

This year’s distinguished jury was composed of director and actress Lina Soualem (Bye Bye Tiberias), New York Film Forum director Tabitha Jackson, actress Géraldine Pailhas, journalist Victor Castanet and presided by filmmaker, photo-reporter and writer Mstyslav Chernov (2000 Meters to Andriivka, 20 Days in Mariupol).

21 films were in competition and the jury chose to award both a winner and a special mention.

L’Œil d'or 2026 goes to Rehearsals for a Revolution by Pegah Ahangarani

A word from the jury : “This film allows us to enter the intricate and complex reality of contemporary Iran through a braiding of personal, historical, and poetic cinema. In its search to find the language to express the truths of the moment, Rehearsals for a Revolution is not afraid to question its own gestures — to doubt itself and to be vulnerable. The jury was struck by the masterful script and vivid, urgent storytelling, and by a filmmaker who carried us through violent waves of history while never losing sight of the value of each individual human life.”

A Special Mention goes to Tin Castle / Irish Travellers by Alexander Murphy

A word from the jury : “This film captivates us from the very first images and continues to impress us with cinematic craft at its highest level,” the jury wrote. “The filmmaker’s gaze directed at his heroes and heroines expresses their intimacy without invading it. Through its precisely calibrated perspective Tin Castle invites us to reflect on the position and role of the documentary camera and deploys love as a cinematic and political force.”