Two Belgian films compete for Palme d'Or as Cannes Film Festival kicks off
The 79th Cannes Film Festival opened on Tuesday evening with two Belgian films in the running for the Palme d'Or: "Coward", the new film by director Lukas Dhont, and "Notre Salut", a Belgian production by Emmanuel Marre.
Dhont is no stranger to the festival. His 2018 debut "Girl" won multiple awards at Cannes, and "Close" earned him the Grand Prix in 2022. His new film "Coward", set during the First World War, was selected at the very last minute: festival director Thierry Frémaux revealed in early April that the jury only saw the film the day before the shortlist was announced.
"Notre Salut" by Emmanuel Marre - a Belgian production by Michigan Films supported by the French Community - is also in the main competition. Marre, who lives and works in Brussels, draws on the story of his own great-grandfather during the Second World War.
Several Belgian co-production will also be shown at the festival, including "Parallel Tales" by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi and "Sanguine" by French director Marion Le Corroller. The Franco-Belgian co-production "La Venus electrique" by Pierre Salvadori opened the festival on Tuesday night.
The jury is chaired this year by South Korean director Park Chan-wook, known for "Oldboy". Alongside him sits director Laura Wandel, marking the first Belgian jury presence at the festival since 2004. She is joined by, among others, Hollywood star Demi Moore, Chinese director Chloé Zhao ("Nomadland" and "Hamnet") and Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård.
PHOTO © Sameer AL-DOUMY / AFP
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