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Parallel Tales

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Parallel Tales
French release poster
FrenchHistoires Parallèles
Directed byAsghar Farhadi
Screenplay by
  • Asghar Farhadi
  • Massoumeh Lahidji
Based onDekalog: Six by
Krzysztof Kieślowski
and Krzysztof Piesiewicz
Produced by
  • Gaëtan David
  • Asghar Farhadi
  • David Levine
  • André Logie
  • Alexandre Mallet-Guy
  • Andrea Occhipinti
Starring
CinematographyGuillaume Deffontaines
Edited byHayedeh Safiyari
Music byZbigniew Preisner
Production
companies
  • Anonymous Content
  • La Compagnie Cinématographique
  • Lucky Red
  • Memento Films Production
  • Panache Productions
Distributed by
  • Memento Films (France)
Release dates
  • 14 May 2026 (2026-05-14) (Cannes)
  • 14 May 2026 (2026-05-14) (France)
Running time
140 minutes
Countries
  • France
  • United States
  • Italy
  • Belgium
LanguageFrench
Budget€11 million[1]

Parallel Tales (French: Histoires Parallèles) is a 2026 French-language drama film produced and directed by Asghar Farhadi, co-written with Massoumeh Lahidji, and loosely based on Krzysztof Kieślowski's Dekalog: Six.[2] Starring an ensemble cast that includes Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney and Adam Bessa,[3] it follows Sylvie (Huppert), a famous author seeking inspiration on the neighbors across the street, who hires the mysterious Adam (Bessa) as assistant, but he quickly turns her life upside down.[4]

The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on 14 May,[5] and was theatrically released in France on the same day by Memento Films.[4] It received mixed reviews.

Cast

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Production

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Development

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In April 2025, it was announced Farhadi would direct his 10th feature film, and his second French language production in Paris in the fall, starring Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney, Adam Bessa, and Catherine Deneuve joining the cast.[7][8]

Cassel revealed in an interview with the newspaper La Tribune, that the film would follow the aftermath of the November 2015 Paris attacks.[9][10] In early 2026, Polish executive producer Maciej Musiał confirmed that the film will be loosely based on Krzysztof Kieślowski's Dekalog: Six, while adaptations for the series other nine episodes were in different stages of production.[11] In April, alongside the trailer, the film's official poster confirmed the adaptation.[4]

A co-production involving France, the United States, Belgium and Italy. Co-produced by the French company Memento Films Production and the US-based Anonymous Content. It was also financed by the French Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC).[12]

Filming

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Principal photography began on 8 September 2025, shooting on location in Paris,[13] and wrapped by early December.[14] Guillaume Deffontaines was the director of photography. Farhadi recurrent collaborator Iranian editor Hayedeh Safiyari will handle the editing.[14]

Release

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It had world premiere at the main competition of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on 14 May,[15] followed by its theatrical release in France on the same day.[4]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 19% of 26 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.7/10.[16] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 42 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[17]

In a 0.5/4 rating, Éric Neuhoff of Le Figaro declared Parallel Tales "boring and conventional", looking like a French film.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "Registres du cinéma et de l'audiovisuel (RCA)". rca.cnc.fr. Retrieved 2026-01-30..
  2. ^ "Asghar Farhadi preparing his new French film Parallel Tales". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. 2025-04-25. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  3. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (24 April 2025). "Asghar Farhadi to Direct 'Parallel Tales' in Paris With Powerful French Cast, Including Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney, Adam Bessa (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  4. ^ a b c d Pearce, Leonard (2026-04-16). "First Trailer for Asghar Farhadi's Parallel Tales Starring Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel & More". The Film Stage. Retrieved 2026-04-16.
  5. ^ "The Screenings Guide of the 79th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. 2026-05-07. Retrieved 2026-05-07.
  6. ^ "HISTOIRES PARALLÈLES (PARALLEL TALES)". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  7. ^ Dalton, Ben. "Asghar Farhadi to direct 'Parallel Tales' starring Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel". Screen.
  8. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (24 April 2025). "Isabelle Huppert and Vincent Cassel to Star in Asghar Farhadi's 'Parallel Tales'". IndieWire.
  9. ^ "Vincent Cassel : « J'ai toujours été le mec des grands écarts »". www.latribune.fr (in French). 2025-04-26. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  10. ^ Boutin, Charles (2025-04-28). "Entouré de stars françaises, Asghar Farhadi racontera les attentats du Bataclan dans son prochain film". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  11. ^ "Maciej Musiał: Filmowy projekt życia. Wywiad okładkowy z GQ Poland". gq.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-04-17.
  12. ^ "Avance sur recettes avant réalisation : résultats de la commission du 3 juillet 2025 | CNC". www.cnc.fr (in French). Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  13. ^ "Asghar Farhadi starts shooting 10th feature film "Parallel Tales" in Paris". Tehran Times. 2025-09-26. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  14. ^ a b "Farhadi wraps filming of "Parallel Tales" in Paris ahead of Cannes debut". Shafaq News. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  15. ^ Ntim, Zac; Wiseman, Andreas (9 April 2026). "Cannes Film Festival: Asghar Farhadi, Pedro Almodóvar, Hirokazu Kore-eda & Ira Sachs Among Filmmakers Set For Competition As Full Lineup Revealed". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  16. ^ "Parallel Tales". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  17. ^ "Parallel Tales". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  18. ^ Neuhoff, Éric (14 May 2026). "Notre critique d'Histoires parallèles : Asghar Farhadi tourne en rond". Le Figaro.
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