Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche will attend the 28th TIDF, presenting her directorial debut

Radiant Juliette Binoche, Academy Award winner and one of the greatest icons in the history of French (and world) cinema will honor the 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival with her presence, in dual capacity.

First and foremost, to present her debut work as a director, the exciting documentary In-I In Motion where she unfolds her creative encounter and collaboration with the renowned British dancer and choreographer Akram Khan. In addition, Juliette Binoche will visit Thessaloniki – for the second time after her attendance of the 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival – with regard to her post as the President of the European Film Academy, in view of the countdown for the upcoming European Film Awards ceremony, which will be held in Athens, in January 2027.

Within the framework of her participation in the official selection of the 28th TIDF with her directorial debut, the megastar will share thoughts, impressions and experiences on her recently acquired two-fold identity as an actress and a film director in an open discussion titled “In front of and behind the camera: My directorial debut in documentary filmmaking”. The event will take place on Wednesday March 11th, 2026 (11:00-12:15), at John Cassavetes theater. Admission will be free for the audience, upon issuance of a zero-price ticket from the Festival counters (tickets will become available one day prior to the event).

Stunning Juliette Binoche was the first actress in the history of cinema to win the so-called Triple Crown of Acting, having snatched awards for her performances at the three most prestigious film festivals of the planet. In particular, she won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice International Film Festival for her performance in the legendary film Three Colors: Blue (1993) by Krzysztof Kieślowski, the Berlinale’s Silver Bear for Best Actress for her performance in the film The English Patient, as well as the Cannes’ Best Actress Award for her performance in the film Certified Copy by Abbas Kiarostami. In addition, Juliette Binoche became only the second French actress to ever win an Oscar®, thirty-six years after Simone Signoret.

Through daring, risky and highly demanding roles both in the French and the English language, Juliette Binoche has embodied some of the most unforgettable female portraits we have ever seen on the big screen. From famous literary heroines to real-life personas that left their mark in history, Binoche has been navigating in style through the various genres and styles. In her breathtaking course in acting, she has teamed up with many more landmark directors of world cinema, among whom stand out the names of Chantal Akerman, Leos Carax, David Cronenberg, Claire Denis, Jean-Luc Godard, Michael Haneke, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Patrice Leconte, Louis Malle, André Téchiné.

In-I In Motion is the recording of a fascinating story that started out in 2007, when Juliette Binoche met Akram Khan, the celebrated British dancer and choreographer. Together they embarked on an intense seven-month journey, during which they entered each other’s world, to create the stage production In-I. The behind-the-scenes story of this intimate collaboration comprised writing sessions, rehearsals, surges of inspiration, uncertainties. The final outcome was a creation driven by desire, confrontation, and reconciliation, which gained critical acclaim and went on to be performed worldwide.

In 2025, Juliette Binoche returned to this formative adventure with In-I In Motion, a work that combines a rare, immersive documentary on the act of creation with a filmed performance of the piece. In-I In Motion explores the universal lightning strike of love at first sight, the sweep of passion that transcends cultural and religious difference, and what becomes of love “after”. The film is an invitation to creativity in every form of expression, an inspiring account of liberating risk-taking and (re)discovering oneself.