Karim Lakzadeh’s Living Twice, Dying Thrice Selected for Cannes ACID 2026
Karim Lakzadeh at Cannes ACID 2026 | Iranian Film Living Twice, Dying Thrice | 13–22 May
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Iranian filmmaker Karim Lakzadeh is part of the 2026 ACID selection at the Cannes Film Festival with his new feature Living Twice, Dying Thrice. The section, organized by the Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema, presents nine world premieres this year and focuses on independent filmmaking.
The film follows three miners who survive a collapse. Instead of returning home, they decide to remain officially dead so their families can receive compensation. As time passes, this decision affects their relationships, their families, and their sense of identity. The cast includes Ebrahim Naeej, Mehdi Rashidi, and Hojjat Hosseini, and the film is produced by Repassfilm.
Lakzadeh’s previous films include Redhead, The Great Leap, and Dark Matter, which premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2023. His work often moves between different forms, combining elements of social stories, road narratives, and self-reflective cinema. He has also been active in short filmmaking before moving into feature films.
ACID is a parallel section at Cannes, programmed by a group of filmmakers. Over the years, it has presented early works by directors such as Claire Denis and Radu Jude. The 2026 lineup includes nine titles from different countries, with a mix of fiction, documentary, animation, and hybrid films.
Another filmmaker with Iranian background in this year’s ACID selection is Mahsa Karampour, presenting Dans La Gueule De L’Ogre. The film follows a brother and sister who have lived outside Iran for years. They meet again and revisit their past, their family history, and their experience of migration while spending time together.