Eva Husson, the only female French director with a film showing in competition at Cannes this year, has cemented her reputation as a rising star among the directors of contemporary cinema with her tale about a battalion of Kurdish female fighters reclaiming their town from extremists in Syria.

Girls of the Sun, starring Golshifteh Farahani and Emmanuelle Bercot, premiered to much fanfare at Cannes ahead of its debut, with stars including Cate Blanchett and Kristen Stewart taking to the red carpet in support of the #MeToo movement, before marking the end of the film with a standing ovation in support of female filmmakers. Husson's third feature follows hot on the heels of Bang Gang, her exploration of teenage sexuality which was a hit on the film festival circuit in 2015.