Barry Keoghan Beams as Andrea Arnold’s Gritty, Emotional ‘Bird’ Gets 7-Minute Standing Ovation at Cannes Film Festival

Alex Ritman and Ellise Shafer
·2-min read

Barry Keoghan smiled from ear to ear as Andrea Arnold’s latest film, “Bird,” earned a seven-minute standing ovation at its Cannes Film Festival premiere on Thursday.

Festival favorite Arnold, who last graced Cannes with “American Honey” in 2016, basked in appreciation as the audience applauded the drama. “Thank you, this is really lovely but I really want to go and party right now,” she said as laughter erupted in the room.

More from Variety

While Keoghan was the biggest name in “Bird,” the loudest cheers were offered to his young co-stars, including Jason Buda and Jasmine Jobson.

“Bird,” written and directed by Arnold, follows two brothers and their father, Bug (Keoghan), who doesn’t have much time to devote to them. Franz Rogowski plays the title character, Bird. Other cast members include Nykiya Adams, Joanne Matthews and James Nelson-Joyce.

Arnold is a Cannes mainstay, having won the jury prize on three separate occasions for “Red Road” (2006), “Fish Tank” (2009) and “American Honey” (2016). In 2012, she served as a member of the festival jury. Her documentary “Cow,” which showed the daily life of a dairy cow, also premiered at the festival in 2021.

Keoghan, who is fresh off his headline-making turn in “Saltburn,” had previously been at Cannes for his role in Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” which premiered in 2017’s competition. Last year, Keoghan was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in “The Banshees of Inisherin” alongside Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. “Saltburn,” in which he played the devious university student Oliver Quick, earned him both a BAFTA and Golden Globe nomination.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories