I SEE BUILDINGS FALL LIKE LIGHTNING

Director – Clio Barnard
United Kingdom / France / USA, 2026
Drama
Duration: 109 min.
Language: English, with English subtitles

One of the standout discoveries of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, the film was presented in Directors’ Fortnight. Directed by Clio Barnard, one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary British cinema, it tells the story of five friends who grew up together in Birmingham. 

Approaching their thirties, they are beginning to realize that life has not unfolded quite as they had imagined. As old certainties disappear and the city around them changes, they struggle to hold on to friendship, hope, and a sense of belonging. 

Winner of the Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award, I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning is a moving portrait of a generation coming to terms with adulthood, loss, and the passing of time.