A shape-shifting movie, exploring loneliness and desire among truck drivers, Pierre Le Gall's acclaimed debut Flesh and Fuel may prove the most unexpectedly romantic film you will see this year.
In his debut feature film, Pierre Le Gall explores the world of gay truck drivers. A story through which he subtly questions the themes of time and love. A Cannes favorite.
Flesh and Fuel 2026
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Hot on the heels of its premiere at Cannes Film Festival, where it gained kudos from French critics and won the Queer Palm for Discovery, Flesh and Fuel lands at NZIFF as one of the most unexpected gems of the year.
And what a shape-shifter of a movie it is! The debut feature of French director Pierre Le Gall, Flesh and Fuel begins as a meticulous depiction of a working man. Étienne, the son of a trucker and a truck driver himself, seems married to his job – and to his vehicle. But then, one lonely night, Étienne steps into a grove near a parking lot...
There he meets Bartosz (Julian Świeżewski), a fellow driver from Poland, who may prove to be Étienne's white knight, or his fatal detour. Crossing swiftly between the lanes of sensuality and romanticism, Le Gall drives his audience on a gripping ride while making Alexis Manenti (also at NZIFF 2026 in Too Many Beasts) the most off-centre sex symbol of 2026.
– Paolo Bertolin