Zoe Saldaña is set to star in Riverrun, the first fiction feature from French visual artist and documentarian Philippe Parreno. The film also stars Charlotte Gainsbourg and Vicky Krieps, forming one of the more intriguing ensemble lineups heading into this year’s European Film Market (EFM), where the project is launching sales via Goodfellas.
Riverrun centers on Lucy (Gainsbourg), a musician who begins to lose control of both her body and her voice. As her condition worsens, she is referred by her psychiatrist, Dr. Cruz (Saldaña), to a clinic in Spain. There, Lucy encounters Tony (Krieps), a meeting that shifts what initially appears to be a clinical treatment into a deeply personal journey toward self-understanding. Veteran Spanish actress Ángela Molina rounds out the cast as a nurse at the clinic.
The film marks a notable return to indie filmmaking for Saldaña following a high-profile run that includes her current theatrical turn in James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash and an awards-season moment for her work in Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez. For Gainsbourg, Riverrun continues a long-standing creative relationship with Parreno, having previously collaborated with him on multiple art installations that incorporated her voice and performance.
Krieps arrives on the project after a prolific 2025, with roles spanning Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother and Cannes Un Certain Regard selection Love Me Tender, which earned her a European Film Awards best actress nomination.
While Riverrun represents Parreno’s first step into narrative feature filmmaking, his documentary background includes the acclaimed Zidane, A 21st Century Portrait, co-directed with Douglas Gordon and premiered out of competition at Cannes. That film later traveled extensively on the festival circuit and received a César nomination.
Shot discreetly last year, Riverrun is produced by Felix Culpa Films, the banner founded by Riley Keough and Gina Gammell, following their recent projects Manodrome and Cannes Camera d’Or winner War Pony. Additional producers include Anna Lena Films, MDAC Productions, L.E.A.F. Films, and Witness Cinema.
Behind the camera, cinematography is handled by Maceo Bishop (The Smashing Machine), with sound design and composition by Oscar-winner Nicolas Becker (Sound of Metal), working alongside composer Lex Dromgoole.