06/02/2017 - With 5 trophies, including Best Film and Best Director, the filmmaker has swept the Magrittes with his fourth feature, as he did back in 2012 with The Giants

At the seventh Magritte Awards held on Saturday night, Bouli Lanners won the two coveted statuettes of Best Film and Best Director for his fourth feature, The First, The Last [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bouli Lanners
film profile]. The movie also snagged awards for its production design and costumes, in addition to Best Supporting Actor (for David Murgia). This is the third Magritte Award for Best Film picked up by Versus Production (out of seven editions), after those it received for The Giants [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Bouli Lanners
film profile] in 2012 and for Loving Without Reason [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Lafosse
film profile] by Joachim Lafosse in 2013. On stage, the two producers, Jacques-Henri and Olivier Bronckart, mentioned in passing their other film in the running this year, Joachim Lafosse’s After Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Lafosse
film profile], which was nominated four times but went home empty-handed, despite an impressive run and acclaim from critics and audiences alike. 

We should also bear in mind that the announcement of the nominees for the seventh Magritte Awards was curious for two reasons: the lack of nominations for The Unknown Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
film profile] by the Dardenne brothers, and a broad representation of debut films. Indeed, the latter took home a good number of prizes, which served to shine a spotlight on Belgian cinema’s young talents.

Keeper [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Guillaume Senez ­
interview: Kacey Mottet Klein
film profile] by Guillaume Senez scooped the Magritte Award for Best Debut Film, as well as Best Supporting Actress, for Catherine Salée, and Best Editing. Meanwhile, Death by Death [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Seron
film profile] pocketed two prestigious statuettes: Best Screenplay for Xavier Seron, and Best Actor for Jean-Jacques Rausin. Interestingly, Seron also picked up the Magritte Award for Best Short Fiction for Le Plombier, which he co-directed with Méryl Fortunat-Rossi. Parasol [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Valéry Rosier nabbed the Magritte Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Original Score.

As for the actresses, there was an unexpected tie between Astrid Whettnall for Road to Istanbul [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Virginie Efira for In Bed with Victoria [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Justine Triet
film profile], while the victorious newcomers were Salomé Richard and Yoann Blanc, who were singled out for their performances in Baden Baden [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and Un homme à la mer [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], respectively. 

For the second time, an animated movie took home the Magritte Award for Best Co-produced Foreign Film: The Red Turtle [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Michael Dudok de Wit, co-produced by Belvision. Finally, the recipient of the Magritte Award for Best Flemish Film raised a few eyebrows, as it wound up being Belgica [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Artemio Benki, Sylvie Leray
interview: Felix Van Groeningen
film profile] by Felix Van Groeningen, whereas many people had expected the triumph of Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah’s Black [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fal…
interview: Martha Canga Antonio
film profile].

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Film
The First, The Last [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bouli Lanners
film profile] – Bouli Lanners

Best Debut Film
Keeper [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Guillaume Senez ­
interview: Kacey Mottet Klein
film profile] – Guillaume Senez

Best Director 
Bouli Lanners – The First, The Last

Best Flemish Film
Belgica [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Artemio Benki, Sylvie Leray
interview: Felix Van Groeningen
film profile] – Felix van Groeningen

Best Co-produced Foreign Film
The Red Turtle [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Michael Dudok de Wit

Best Original or Adapted Screenplay 
Xavier Seron – Death by Death [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Seron
film profile]

Best Actress (ex-aequo)
Astrid Whettnall – Road to Istanbul [+see also:
trailer
film profile]
Virginie Efira – In Bed with Victoria [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Justine Triet
film profile]

Best Actor 
Jean-Jacques Rausin – Death by Death

Best Supporting Actress 
Catherine Salée – Keeper

Best Supporting Actor 
David Murgia – The First, The Last

Best Female Newcomer 
Salomé Richard – Baden Baden [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]

Best Male Newcomer 
Yoann Blanc – Un homme à la mer [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]

Best Cinematography
Olivier Boonjing – Parasol [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]

Best Sound 
The Red Turtle – Matthieu Michaux

Best Production Design 
The First, The Last – Paul Rouschop

Best Costumes
The First, The Last – Elise Ancion

Best Original Score 
Parasol – Cyrille de Haes, Manuel Roland

Best Editing 
Keeper – Julie Brenta

Best Animated Short 
Pornography – Eric Ledune

Best Short Fiction 
Le Plombier – Méryl Fortunat-Rossi, Xavier Seron

Best Documentary
En bataille, portrait d’une directrice de prison – Eve Duchemin

(Translated from French)