Belgium will once again be in the spotlight at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, with two Belgian productions competing for the prestigious Palme d’Or.
In the running for the top prize is Flemish director Lukas Dhont, who returns to the Croisette with “Coward”, his third film at Cannes and his second feature in competition. The film is set during World War I and inspired by historical colour photographs created using the autochrome process.
The second contender is “Notre Salut” by Emmanuel Marre, which explores his family history set against the backdrop of 1940. Produced by Michigan Films and supported by the Centre du Cinéma de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, it marks Marre’s second feature after “Rien à foutre”, co-directed with Julie Lecoustre and presented at the Critics’ Week in Cannes in 2021.
Competing alongside these Belgian entries are works by renowned filmmakers including Iran’s Asghar Farhadi (“Parallel Stories”, co-produced in Belgium), Spain’s Pedro Almodóvar, exiled Russian director Andrei Zvyagintsev, Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi (“Suddenly”, also co-produced in Belgium), and previous Palme winners Hirokazu Kore-eda and Cristian Mungiu.
Presiding over the jury will be South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, with Belgian director Laura Wandel joining him. Wandel is the first Belgian to be part of the jury since Benoît Poelvoorde in 2004—a rare honour for the country.
Laura Wandel, known for her acclaimed debut film “Un Monde,” is participating in Cannes for the third time, having previously unveiled her short film “Foreign Bodies” in 2014 and her first feature in 2021, which won the FIPRESCI prize. Her next feature film “L’Intérêt d’Adam” (2025) opened Critics’ Week.
In the “Un Certain Regard” section, three Belgian productions will be presented: “Ton Animal Maternel” by Valentina Maurel, her third Cannes selection; “Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep,” a poetic film by Rakan Mayasi; and “Le Corset,” an animated film by Louis Clichy co-produced in Belgium.
Belgium will also have notable presence in other festival segments. Marion Le Corroller’s fantasy film “Sanguine,” co-produced by Panache Productions and La Compagnie Cinématographique, will be screened at Midnight Screenings. Meanwhile, Pierre Salvadori’s “La Vénus électrique” will open the festival.
Two Flemish films will feature in “Cannes Classics,” a section devoted to historic cinema. Brecht Debackere’s “Nostalgia for the Future,” narrated by Charlotte Rampling, explores the legacy of French filmmaker Chris Marker. A restored copy of the 1955 classic “Les Mouettes Meurent au Port” (“The Seagulls Die in the Harbour”) will also be screened, marking a nostalgic tribute to Belgium’s first-ever Cannes competition entry in 1956.
In the parallel sections, Belgium continues to shine, with two co-productions chosen for opening and closing slots in the Critics’ Week. Animation film “In Waves,” produced by Panique!, will debut at the 65th Critics’ Week, marking a first for animated features. Closing the event is “Adieu Monde Cruel,” the first feature film by French director Félix de Givry, also co-produced in Belgium.
The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival begins this Tuesday and will conclude on Saturday, 23 May.
