'J'ai Pas Sommeil' and Claire Denis Masterclass at Cannes 2026

During the second day of official festivities at the 2026 Festival de Cannes, Claire Denis returned to the Croisette for a screening and masterclass. Fans gathered at the Théâtre Croisette around 2pm on Wednesday, May 13th for a viewing of her 1994 film J'ai Pas Sommeil (I Can't Sleep). After the screening, Denis took to the stage to discuss the process of making J'ai Pas Sommeil as well as her other famed works. She recounted many fun, behind-the-scenes tales of her filmmaking experiences, including the story of casting Richard Courcet to play Camille in J'ai Pas Sommeil. Courcet was originally working behind the camera for the film and after struggling to find a suitable actor, Denis and Courcet realized that he himself was the most suited to play the role. 

Listening to Denis share her the stories of her filmmaking over the years, it becomes clear that she is exacltly the kind of 'master' to be teaching a Cannes 'masterclass'!