Where literature, cinema, memory and contemporary African narratives converge.

CANNES, FRANCE. MAY 20266

During the Cannes Film Festival 2026, author Andrea Atzori will unveil an exclusive cultural preview of his debut novel, The Long Red Road, through an intimate live salon bringing together literature, cinema, visual storytelling and contemporary artistic dialogue.

Hosted at the Majestic Barrière Cannes, the event will unfold as a curated conversation rather than a traditional press conference, a reflective encounter exploring storytelling as lived experience.

At the centre of the event stands Andrea Atzori’s literary debut: a narrative deeply shaped by decades of humanitarian experience across Africa through his work with Doctors with Africa CUAMM.

More than a novel, The Long Red Road emerges as a meditation on identity, displacement, resilience and human connection, carrying readers through emotional and geographical landscapes where personal memory and collective histories intertwine.

“Some stories begin as fiction.
Others begin in life and only later become literature.”

Presented during one of the world’s most iconic cinematic gatherings, the Cannes preview creates a dialogue between literature and the visual world, opening reflections on how stories travel across page, image, memory and emotion.

The live conversation will feature Dr. Annalisa Tarquini of International University of Monaco alongside Andrea Atzori, with moderation and curatorial direction by Valentina Cangiano of Style Lab.

Extending the literary conversation into visual culture, the event will also include a special artistic intervention led by curator Kevin Beaulier, founder of Maison Beaulier, together with photographer Patrick Nassogne of MOJA.

          ANDREA ATZORI

Their intervention expands the themes initiated by The Long Red Road toward contemporary African visual narratives, challenging reductive representations of the continent and highlighting instead a generation defined by creativity, youth, experimentation and cultural force.

Rather than approaching Africa through the lens of crisis or humanitarian urgency, the artistic dialogue seeks to reveal the continent through image, symbolism, atmosphere, and cinematic storytelling.

The intervention draws inspiration from projects developed across Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania and beyond, exploring memory, identity, post-colonial imagination, women and cinema and the emotional architecture of contemporary African life.

At the core of the conversation lies one central idea:

Africa is not defined by crisis. It is defined by possibility.

The event has been conceived as a warm cultural salon: intimate, immersive and experiential, bringing together invited guests from the worlds of literature, cinema, art, academia and international culture.

The Cannes presentation marks the beginning of a wider international journey for The Long Red Road, ahead of its official London launch planned for Fall 2026, alongside the anticipation of Andrea Atzori’s second literary work.

Cultural Preview Presentation

CANNES FILM FESTIVAL 2026 SELECTED EVENT PROGRAMME

10:30 AM 10:45 AM

11:00 AM

11:45 AM

12:00 PM 12:30 PM

MEDIA & PRESS ENQUIRIES

valentina@the-style-lab.com

RSVP:

Instagram: @_andreaatzori @stylelabltd @_valentinacangiano @university_of _monaco @awamumoja @kevinbeaulier

MAJESTIC BARRIÈRE CANNES
SALON CROISETTE

14 MAY 2026

10:30 AM – 1:30 PM

Curated by Style Lab

With artistic contributions by:

MOJA
Maison Beaulier

Guest Welcome Opening Remarks

Valentina Cangiano

Live Conversation, Book Presentation & Audience Exchange
Dr. Annalisa Tarquini
in conversation with

Andrea Atzori

Special Artistic Intervention Presented and Moderated
by Valentina Cangiano (15 min) Featuring
Kevin Beaulier & Patrick Nassogne (MOJA)

Closing Reflections & Preview of Upcoming Literary Projects

Networking Lunch,
Cultural Exchange & Book Signing

Editor @Monaco Woman