Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne will play their 7th official competition, this time with The Unknown Girl and we hope for another coronation!
The directors are anything but novices with two Palmes d’Or (Rosetta, Cannes 1999 and The Child, 2005) and many other Cannes awards including a Grand Jury prize (The Kid with a Bike, Cannes 2011). Their last film Two Days, One Night, was also in competition at Cannes in 2014.
The brothers are among an elite group of ultra-talented 6 directors who have been awarded the Palme d’Or twice: Emir Kusturica (1985, 1995), the Dardenne Brothers (1999, 2005), Michael Hannecke (2009, 2012), Francis Ford Coppola (1974, 1979), Bille August (1988, 1992) and Shohei Imamura (1983, 1997).
The much anticipated Unknown Girl is produced by their production house Les Films du Fleuve, starring French actress Adele Haene and an impressive casting of Belgian superstars like Jérémie Renier and Olivier Gourmet.
We were very pleased to hear the surprise selection of the animated Red Turtle by Dutch director Michaël Dudok de Wit.
The film, co-financed by Wallimage, will be presented in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival. Behind a touching story about the relationship between a man and a giant turtle, the director tells us about human life: falling in love, raising children and letting them go, growing old and dying.
With his debut animated feature film, Michaël Dudok de Wit is far from being unknown. He has worked as an animator on famous projects like Fantasia 2000 and directed several short films including Oscar winning animated film Father and Daughter. Recognized as a great visionary, he has been approached by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, founders of the legendary Studio Ghibli, to produce his first feature film.
Co-produced by French Wild Bunch and Belgian Belvision, part of the production was handled by Dreamwall. From what we’ve been hearing, the result is stunning!
Two more feature films co-financed by Wallimage were also selected.
Raw is the first feature film by French director Julia Ducournau. Co-produced in Belgium by Frakas Productions and entirely shot in Liege, the film is part of the Critics’ Week selection. In this genre film, part borderline thriller, we follow 16-year-old Justine. Everyone in Justine’s family is a vet. And a vegetarian. When Justine starts veterinary school, she strays from her family principles when she eats raw meat for the first time. Justine will soon face the terrible and unexpected consequences of her actions when her true self begins to emerge.
Many experienced Belgian technicians and actors took part in the project, including actor Bouli Lanners and director of photography Ruben Impens. Provocative and edgy, the film is sure to get people talking!
Last but not least, Directors’ Fortnight will present Belgian director Joachim Lafosse’s latest movie, After Love. This intimate drama featuring French actress Bérénice Béjo and actor and director Cédric Kahn, centers on a husband and
wife who break up and decide to continue living together for financial reasons.
The script is co-written by Fanny Burdino, Mazarine Pingeot, Joachim Lafosse and Thomas Van Zuylen. The film is co-poduced by Versus Production and Les films du Worso.
Needless to say Wallimage will be there to support them!
