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The History of Sound: Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor together in a gay romance
Selected for the official competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025, The History of Sound is finally out in theaters this Wednesday, February 25th. Directed by South African filmmaker Oliver Hermanus, the feature stars two of today’s most bankable actors, Irish actor Paul Mescal and British actor Josh O’Connor, in a wartime gay romance.
By Jordan Bako.
Published on 29 July 2025. Updated on 25 February 2026.
Oliver Hermanus’s comeback at the Cannes Film Festival
Both in South Africa and worldwide, Oliver Hermanus has enjoyed a steady rise since his 2009 debut. Each one of his six features premiered at major festivals, from Durban to Sundance, Venice and Cannes.
In 2025, the South-African director returns to the Croisette, after winning the Queer Palm for his second film Beauty in 2011. His sixth production, The History of Sound, was in the official competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, and is currently out in theaters. The feature was initially supposed to compete at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, but its completion got delayed because of the soundtrack.
The History of Sound: A romantic drama during the war
For The History of Sound, the director adapted writer Ben Shattuck’s collection of novellas of the same name, composed of twelve short stories titled after the opening tale. The narrative follows two men journeying across New England during World War I.
Their paths first cross in a piano club in 1916. That summer, Lionel and David, two music students, set out to record the folk songs and oral histories of northern U.S. communities – a cradle of folk music brought over by English settlers. Along the way, they fall in love…
Ben Shattuck crafts a tender narrative that weaves together themes like love, grief, and healing. The writer is credited as co-screenwriter of the film, alongside Olivier Hermanus. Choosing this story was not random for the filmmaker. “I instantly fell in love with Ben Shattuck’s flawlessly beautiful short story and knew I had to be involved in its journey to the screen,” he told Variety.
Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor as an irresistible couple
To bring this delicate tale to the screen, Olivier Hermanus called on two of today’s most sought-after stars. With this project, Paul Mescal returns to drama after his breakthrough in the series Normal People and standout roles in the films Aftersun and All of Us Strangers.
As for Josh O’Connor, he continues his impressive streak, from The Crown to Alice Rohrwacher‘s La Chimera and Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers (2024). In addition to those projects, the British actor presented another feature in Cannes in 2025: The Mastermind by Kelly Reichardt.
The History of Sound (2026) by Oliver Hermanus, out now.
