Coward

Lukas Dhont’s moving First World War drama follows two soldiers who find friendship, theatre and fleeting freedom behind the trenches.1916\.

Pierre has just arrived at the Belgian front and is eager to prove himself.

Behind the lines, Francis is putting on theatre shows to keep the soldiers’ spirits up.

As the fighting continues, the two men become close, finding moments of connection and escape from the brutality surrounding them.

But in a world where masculinity is measured by bravery and sacrifice, their growing intimacy comes with its own dangers.Rather than presenting war simply as a spectacle of violence, Coward finds its emotional force in the fragile moments when soldiers attempt to create beauty and normality amid destruction.

Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne have striking chemistry as the two young soldiers in this tender and lushly cinematic story of friendship, courage and the things that keep us going when life is at its hardest.