The film Postpartum Depression, starring Jennifer Lawrence as a mother struggling with postpartum depression, received wide acclaim from critics during its screening at the Cannes Film Festival, where it earned a warm, nine-minute standing ovation at its premiere.

In press interviews, the film’s lead actors, Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence, discussed the challenges of the postpartum period, drawing from their own personal experiences to bring to life a story adapted from the 2017 novel by author Ariana Harwicz, directed by Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay.

Lawrence, who recently gave birth to her second child, said during a press conference on the French Riviera: “Nothing compares to the experience of postpartum. It’s a time of intense isolation.”

Referring to her character in the film, Lawrence, who won an Oscar in 2013, added: “As a mother, it was really hard for me to separate what I would do from what my character would do.”

The film is set in a remote, nearly forgotten rural area in France, where Pattinson and Lawrence play Jackson and Grace, a seemingly happy couple who relocate to a small town in Montana and have a baby—adding strain to their relationship.

Grace, a writer, struggles to adapt to her new identity as a mother while battling postpartum depression. Torn between her love for freedom and her desire for a stable family life, she feels suffocated despite her family’s attempts to accommodate her increasingly erratic behavior—eventually leading her back into a former relationship.

Her husband tries to understand and support her, but escalating dramatic events make it difficult for him to cope. The film’s scenes of the isolated farm, the family’s solitude, and the empty streets visually mirror the deep depression Grace experiences.

Pattinson said: “When you're with a partner going through postpartum or any kind of mental health challenge, it’s difficult to figure out your role and how to support them—especially when there’s no shared language for what you’re both feeling.”

Pattinson, who became a father last year, shared that the experience revitalized him: “In unexpected ways, having a child gives you tremendous energy and inspiration.”