Belgian cinema will once again shine at this year's Cannes Film Festival, with the Dardenne brothers potentially aiming for a third Palme d'Or. However, they will not be the only Belgians making their mark at this 78th edition, which will also feature the premiere of Laura Wandel's latest film during the Critics' Week, a parallel section of the festival.
For their tenth feature film presented in competition at Cannes, Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne offer 'Jeunes mères', a deep dive into the daily life of a maternal home.
The Dardenne brothers, mainstays on the Cannes lineup, are among the exclusive club of directors who have won the Palme d'Or twice with 'Rosetta' (1999) and 'L'Enfant' (2005). In hopes of claiming the trophy once more, 'Jeunes mères' will compete alongside the Belgian co-production 'Alpha' by Julia Ducournau, Wes Anderson's 'The Phoenician Scheme', 'A Simple Accident' by Jafar Panahi, and Joachim Trier's 'Sentimental Value'. The jury, chaired by Juliette Binoche, will face the challenge of selecting a winner.
Laura Wandel, meanwhile, will enjoy significant exposure with her film 'L'intérêt d'Adam' opening the 64th Critics' Week.
The feature tells the story of Adam, a four-year-old boy suffering from malnutrition who is hospitalised by court order. It is produced by Les Films du Fleuve, the Dardenne brothers' own company, along with Dragons Films.
In the Critics' Week, Alexe Poukine's Belgian film 'Kika' will also compete, along with Belgian co-productions 'Imago' and 'Rietland'. The spotlight on Belgian cinema continues with the section’s closing film, another Belgian co-production, 'Planètes'.
At the Directors’ Fortnight, another festival strand, the Dardenne brothers' co-production 'Enzo' will open, accompanied by works from Belgian directors Valéry Carnoy with 'The Foxes' Dance' in feature selection and Dorian Jespers with 'Loynes' in the short films category.
Related News
- Conclave in real life - How accurate was the Oscar-winning film?
- New film about Heysel 1985 tragedy to be released next year
- Brussels Porn Film Festival: How OnlyFans is changing the industry
Several other Belgian figures are expected at Cannes. Notably, filmmaker Lucas Belvaux will serve as president of the Citizenship Jury. On the acting front, Cécile de France will make dual appearances on the red carpet in 'Dalloway', a futuristic tale on artificial intelligence featuring Mylène Farmer, and 'The Coming of the Future' by Cédric Klapisch alongside Olivier Gourmet. Virginie Efira will return in 'Private Life' with Jodie Foster.
In a nod to Belgium, 'La course en tête', a documentary about legendary cyclist Eddy Merckx, is included in the Cannes Classics selection.
The Cannes Film Festival will begin on Tuesday evening in the French coastal city and conclude on 24 May.
