I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning

I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning

Director: Clio Barnard
Country: United Kingdom

2026 | 109 min. | English
Subtitles: German

Cast_ Joe Cole, Anthony Boyle, Jay Lycurgo, Daryl McCormack, Lola Petticrew Screenplay_ Enda Walsh Camera_ Simon Tindall Producer_ Tracy O’Riordan Rights_ Charades

Five friends from Birmingham and their disparate opportunities in life. Can they overcome the social divides between them?

A favorite with audiences at Cannes.

Rian, Patrick, Shiv, Oli, and Conor grew up together – but by their early thirties, their lives have taken them in very different directions. While Rian has moved up the social ladder, the others struggle with precarious housing, family responsibilities, and dashed hopes. When a long-suppressed event from their past resurfaces, the fragile fabric of their friendship begins to unravel.

With a keen eye for detail and an unmistakable feel for different social milieux, Clio Barnard paints a nuanced portrait of a generation caught between class barriers, friendship, and the search for one’s place in this world.

Director

For her documentary ›The Arbor‹ (2010), about playwright Andrea Dunbar, British director Clio Barnard received numerous international awards. Her first fiction feature, ›The Selfish Giant‹ (2013), premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes. ›I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning‹ won the Audience Award in that same section in 2026.

Screenings