'' The Image Book '' ( ) is a 2018 Swiss avant-garde essay film directed by Jean-Luc Godard . Initially titled '' Tentative de bleu '' and '' Image et parole '' , in December 2016 Wild Bunch co-chief Vincent Maraval stated that Godard had been shooting the film for almost two years " in various Arab countries , including Tunisia " and that it is an examination of the modern Arabic world . Godard told '' Séance '' magazine that he was shooting without actors but the film would have a storyteller . It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival . Although it did not win the official prize , the jury awarded it the first " Special Palme d'Or " in the festival 's history . According to Godard , the film is intended to be shown on TV screens with speakers at a distance , in small spaces rather than in regular cinemas . It was shown in this way during its first run at the Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne in November 2018
2018 Cannes Film Festival
2018 Cannes Film Festival
The Image Book