The film Marie Madeleine, directed by Haitian filmmaker Gessica Généus and produced by SaNoSi Productions, was awarded the Grand Prix on Saturday at the 40th Cabourg Film Festival. This major distinction crowns the director’s second fictional feature film, following Freda (2021).
With this prize, the jury honors a singular work centered on a character caught in tensions between spirituality, desire, and freedom. In the city of Jacmel, where the sea, churches, and beliefs permeate daily life, Généus portrays an independent prostitute and her encounter with a young evangelist whose faith wavers throughout their relationship.
Awarded annually to films marked by their emotional power and unique perspective, the Grand Prix here highlights the narrative strength of Généus’s feature film. This reward comes after the film’s warm reception by critics at the Cannes Festival in May.
The jury, chaired by Agnès Jaoui, also awarded a second Grand Prix to No Good Men by Shahrbanoo Sadat. With this distinction, Marie Madeleine continues its remarkable journey, ahead of a theatrical release scheduled for October 2026.
Marie Madeleine by Gessica Généus – Cast: Gessica GÉNÉUS · Béonard MONTEAU · Melissa MILDORT · Edouard BAPTISTE
PRODUCTION: SaNoSi Productions
CO-PRODUCTION: Ayizan Production, Stenola Productions, Bidibul Productions, Metafilms
FRANCE DISTRIBUTION: Pyramide Films
