'Histoires de la nuit' adapts an unadaptable book by the last Goncourt author at Cannes

Léa Mysius's film 'Histoires de la nuit,' based on Laurent Mauvignier's novel, has been presented in competition for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Mauvignier, who won the Goncourt Prize in 2025, famously described his own novel as 'unadaptable,' a challenge that Mysius embraced.

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I tried to write a novel that would be impossible to make into a film, something unachievable.

The 2020 novel, a bestseller in France, spans over 600 pages. Producer Jean-Louis Liu proposed the adaptation as a significant challenge to Mysius, who felt immediately 'impacted' by the narrative. Despite recognizing the difficulty in translating the novel's tension into a cinematic script, the filmmakers have been praised for their efforts. Mauvignier himself acknowledged that the team 'truly managed well,' having initially conceived the story as a shorter work before expanding it into a novel designed to resist easy adaptation. The film's plot centers on Nora (Hafsia Herzi) and Thomas (Bastien Bouillon), a couple living on an isolated farm with their daughter Ida (Tawba El Gharchi). Their lives are disrupted when three violent intruders, led by a character played by Benoît Magimel, crash a surprise birthday party, unearthing dark secrets from Nora's past.

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They have truly managed well.

Monica Bellucci, portraying Cristina, an Italian painter and their only neighbor, described her character as a 'hardened' and 'isolated' woman. Bellucci found the role compelling due to its multifaceted nature, calling such complex characters 'a gift' for actors, especially given the tendency for women her age to become 'transparent' or 'invisible.' For Hafsia Herzi, who also directed last year's competition film 'La petite dernière,' the script offered an immediate 'crush,' particularly appreciating the ambiguity of her character. She praised Mysius as a 'great screenwriter,' allowing her to fully immerse herself in the project.

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When I was proposed to play this character, who is a 'hardened' and 'isolated' woman who has chosen to only have contact with her neighbors, I saw so many facets to interpret in the role that I could not resist, because roles like that are a gift for actors.