Why there are two posters for the Cannes festival

The romantic duo are shown together

The Cannes Film Festival 2025, which runs in May this year, has two contrasting faces. On the one hand, it is the most glamorous movie event of the year. On the other, it is the temple of independent – and sometimes extremely challenging – cinema. It is surprising, therefore, that it so consistently plays on nostalgia for its posters. This year, two images from Claude Lelouch’s 1966 movie Un homme et une femme/A Man and a Woman are featured.

Un homme et une femme was a massive and critical success for Lelouch and actors Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant. Their key scene is when they embrace on a beach. Rather than show an image of one or the other, the festival has for the first time in its history chosen to present both. Waxing lyrical, the festival says, “because you can’t separate that Man from that Woman, the Festival de Cannes has chosen for the first time in its history to present a double official poster. A Man and a Woman. Side by side. Back together.”

Both actors have since died, but Claude Lelouch is still directing – most recently Finalement/Finally starring Kad Merad.

Un homme et une femme is also known for its theme song written by Francis Lai, often mistakenly called “Shabadabada” due to the vocalising.

The Festival de Cannes will run May 13-24. Follow Tagtik for festival news as it breaks.

(Michael Leahy. Photo: © Les Films 13)