Joachim Trier’s ‘Sentimental Value’ Brings Cannes to Tears with Emotionally Charged Premiere
Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier captured hearts and stirred deep emotions at the Cannes Film Festival with the premiere of his latest film, Sentimental Value — a deeply intimate portrait of a fractured family. The emotional weight of the story was felt not only on screen but behind the scenes as well. Trier himself admitted to shedding tears while filming.
“I cried a lot,” Trier shared. “Not because of sadness, but because of how deeply moved I was by the performances. It felt incredibly real.”
Set in Oslo, the film explores the silent struggles of a cultured family that communicates more through silence than conversation. With longtime collaborators like Renate Reinsve returning to the screen, the performances walk a delicate line between fiction and personal truth — a balance Trier is known for.
Reinsve, who won Best Actress at Cannes in 2021 for Trier’s The Worst Person in the World, plays a theater actress grappling with her strained relationship with her father, a once-revered filmmaker played by Swedish screen icon Stellan Skarsgård. Their dynamic is both heartbreaking and nuanced, as layers of grief, distance, and unspoken love unfold throughout the film.
Trier reflected on how personal experiences shaped the project. “Families hold onto pain in quiet ways. We often stay locked in roles we’ve never agreed to but continue to play.”
What adds a fresh twist to the story is the arrival of Elle Fanning, playing a version of herself — a Hollywood actress eager to breathe life into one of the father’s abandoned screenplays. Her character, full of admiration and curiosity, becomes the unexpected glue that shakes up old patterns.
Fanning, who flew between major projects just to be part of the shoot, described the role as a dream come true.
“I read the script and just cried,” she said at Cannes. “It’s rare to read something that personal, that raw, and still so beautifully restrained. I didn’t hesitate — I flew to Oslo immediately.”
Trier, known for his collaborative sets and deep connections with his cast, welcomed Fanning with open arms. “She’s not just talented — she’s a truly generous spirit. She fit right into our little creative family.”
Sentimental Value was shot in a charming, timeworn wooden house in Oslo — a setting that Trier believes became a character in its own right. Around that kitchen table, scenes were shaped and rehearsed, mirroring the film’s themes of closeness and distance.
While the film pulls inspiration from the world of cinema itself — with nods to legends like Ingmar Bergman and John Cassavetes — Trier is quick to clarify that this isn’t autobiographical.
“My family’s seen it and they’re all supportive,” he laughed. “The father figure is really an homage to a generation of auteurs, not anyone specific.”
Critics responded with glowing praise. The Hollywood Reporter called the film “exquisite,” while Vanity Fair described it as “gorgeous and gripping.” Deadline highlighted its “satisfying” and “perfectly pitched” ending, praising the quiet truth it reveals.
At 51, Trier continues to evolve, blending lightness and depth in a way few filmmakers can. For him, storytelling is as much about what’s left unsaid as what’s spoken.
“You have to allow silence,” he said. “That’s where the truth often lives.”
