1-2 Special Acquires Cannes Winner 'A Man of His Time'
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- 1-2 Special acquired all North American distribution rights to Emmanuel Marre's Cannes competition title "A Man of His Time," which won the Best Screenplay Prize at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
- 1-2 Special will release the film in theaters next year.
- The film follows Henri Marre (played by Swann Arlaud), a broke, 49-year-old man who arrives alone in Vichy, France, in 1940 carrying copies of his self-published manifesto "Notre Salut," determined to secure his place in the new fascist order.
- "A Man of His Time" also won the Prix des Cinémas Art et Essai, received a Special Mention from the Prix de la Citoyenneté jury, and earned the CST Award for Best Artist-Technician.
- This is Emmanuel Marre's second feature following "Zero Fucks Given," which premiered at the 2021 Cannes Critics' Week and won the Gan Foundation Award.
- The film was produced by Kidam in France and Michigan Films in Belgium, with co-production from Les Films Pelléas, Les Films de Pierre, Unité, France 2, Condor, The Ink Connection, RTBF, Be tv, Orange, and Proximus.
Why it matters: The acquisition gives North American arthouse audiences access to one of the most decorated films of the 2026 Cannes competition, where it took the Best Screenplay Prize plus three additional honors. For 1-2 Special, landing a four-award Cannes title from a director whose debut also won at Critics' Week positions the distributor in the prestige arthouse circuit ahead of next year's theatrical rollout.
