Released theatrically in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Irréversible competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and won the Bronze Horse at the Stockholm International Film Festival. The film is told in reverse order, with each scene taking place chronologically before the one that precedes it. Starring Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, and Albert Dupontel, it depicts the events of a tragic night in Paris as two men attempt to avenge the brutal rape and beating of the woman they love. Irréversible ( French pronunciation: ) is a 2002 French psychological thriller drama film written and directed by Gaspar Noé.