Parallel Tales

Histoires parallèles

France | 2026 | 139 min

Language: French

Subtitles: English

Not for persons under 12

Director(s): Asghar Farhadi

Script: Asghar Farhadi, Saeed Farhadi inspired by "A Short film About Love" by Krzystof Kieślowski

Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney, Adam Bessa, Catherine Deneuve, India Hair, Véronique Ruggia Saura, François Delaive, Ismaël Sy Savané, Oumar Diaw, Frédéric Milani, Stéphane Dausse, Bruno Yéoulou

Production: Memento Films Production, Anonymous Content

Distribution: Edge Entertainment

Drama

Literature Artists Film History Psychological Mystery Outsiders

Masters

Screenings:

Asghar Farhadi’s Parallel Tales is a skilfully told, sophisticated psychological thriller built on the foundation of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s classic A Short Film About Love. Two-time Oscar winner Farhadi relocates the original story’s moral tension to Paris, where novelist Sylvie (Isabelle Huppert) seeks inspiration for her new book by observing the life of a building across the street. Her focus settles on a trio (Vincent Cassel, Virginie Efira and Pierre Niney) who creates foley sounds for TV series and films in their studio apartment. Once Sylvie hires Adam (Adam Bessa) as her assistant, her daily routines begin to slide towards a fiction she can no longer control.

Isabelle Huppert delivers a cool and intellectual yet fragile portrayal of a woman who sees more than she understands. Vincent Cassel brings a threatening intensity to the story, while Virginie Efira balances the ensemble with her warm and multifaceted presence. Parallel Tales is an elegant, gripping and emotionally precise film that demonstrates why Farhadi remains one of the sharpest storytellers working today. The impressive cast is enriched by supporting appearances from Catherine Deneuve and India Hair.

Timo Kuismin

Updated 2026-07-30 17:30:10 UTC