Story perspectives

Cannes Opens with “The Electric Kiss”; China Pavilion Hits $1.98 BCannes Opens with “The Electric Kiss”; China Pavilion Hits $1.98 B

5/15/2026

Summary

Story summary

Cannes Film Festival opened on May 14, 2024, with Pierre Salvadori’s *The Electric Kiss*.
The competition lineup features Asghar Farhadi’s *Parallel Tales*, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s *Sheep in the Box*, and Cristian Mungiu’s film.
The China Pavilion reported a domestic box office of $1.98 billion by May 5 and a total of 93,187 screens after adding 2,219.
Producer Marco Perego entered three films—*Minotaur*, *Fjord*, *Paper Tiger*—into competition, a first in festival history.

History

Historical Context

At the 1994 Cannes Film Festival (12-23 May), Zhang Yimou’s *To Live* shared the Grand Prix with *Burnt by the Sun* and earned the Ecumenical Jury Prize and Best Actor for Ge You. Though banned in China, the film’s foreign-funded co-production and two-year ban on its creators marked the first major international breakthrough for Chinese cinema, a precedent that later expanded China’s presence at Cannes.

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Story summary

Cannes Film Festival opened on May 14, 2024, with Pierre Salvadori’s *The Electric Kiss*.
The competition lineup features Asghar Farhadi’s *Parallel Tales*, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s *Sheep in the Box*, and Cristian Mungiu’s film.
The China Pavilion reported a domestic box office of $1.98 billion by May 5 and a total of 93,187 screens after adding 2,219.
Producer Marco Perego entered three films—*Minotaur*, *Fjord*, *Paper Tiger*—into competition, a first in festival history.

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