‘Objet a’ Explores Desire, Control and Human Touch in the Digital Age at Locarno 2026

Ann Oren’s provocative new film Objet a will premiere in competition at the 2026 Locarno Film Festival, where it examines how technology has changed human intimacy and physical connection.

The Israeli filmmaker and visual artist previously made waves at Locarno with her acclaimed debut Piaffe. With Objet a, Oren again explores the complicated links between the body, technology and desire. Aenne Schwarz and Louis Hofmann lead the cast, bringing Oren’s sensual and deliberately unsettling vision to life.

At the heart of Objet a lies a contradiction of modern life. People stay constantly connected through digital devices, yet they often experience less direct physical contact. Oren uses that tension to ask what happens to desire when screens increasingly mediate intimate interactions.

Rather than provide simple answers, Oren turns cinema into a tool for examining how desire develops, shifts and comes under control. The film reflects a growing modern anxiety: people now spend far more time interacting with screens than experiencing direct human touch.

Objet a marks Oren’s second feature to premiere at the prestigious Swiss festival. Her return to the International Competition also highlights Locarno’s focus on filmmakers who challenge conventional storytelling and push the visual language of cinema.

The 2026 competition lineup brings together established filmmakers and adventurous new voices. Oren’s experimental approach joins work from acclaimed directors such as Hong Sang-soo and Denis Côté, reinforcing the festival’s commitment to bold and unconventional cinema.

The 2026 Locarno Film Festival runs from August 5 to 15 and continues its long-standing tradition of showcasing films that challenge audiences and explore new forms of storytelling.

Schwarz and Hofmann give Oren’s abstract ideas a human center. Their performances examine desire beyond conventional romance, presenting it as a force shaped by power, observation and control.

That approach gives Objet a a strong connection to the realities of modern digital life. Technology does more than help people communicate; it can also influence how they see themselves, interact with others and experience intimacy.

Oren turns those questions into the film’s central conflict. As screens occupy more space in everyday life, Objet a asks whether digital connection can truly replace physical presence—or whether constant virtual interaction only makes the need for human touch more apparent.

Oren’s film arrives at a time when digital technology increasingly shapes personal relationships. Social media, messaging apps, video calls and online platforms allow people to remain connected across distances, but they also change how people experience closeness.

Objet a explores that contradiction through desire, the body and physical touch. Instead of treating technology as simply positive or negative, Oren examines how it can reshape human impulses and influence the ways people connect.