05/02/2018 - Winning six prizes out of its six nominations, the second film by Philippe Van Leeuw has emerged as the undisputed winner of the eighth edition of the Belgian awards

Some of the crew of Insyriated: producer Guillaume Malandrin, director Philippe Van Leeuw, Alex Goosse and Paul Heymans (winners of Best Sound), and Jean-Luc Fafchamps (winner of Best Score) (© 2018 Magritte Awards)

On Saturday night, Insyriated [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Philippe Van Leeuw
film profile], the second feature by Philippe Van Leeuw, took home six trophies from the Magritte Awards ceremony, thus cashing in on all six of its nominations. It was a golden evening for the director, as well as for his producer, Guillaume Malandrin (of Altitude 100 Production), who also snagged the Magritte Award for Best Animated Short with Le Lion et le Singe by Benoît Feroumont.

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Insyriated unfolds over one day and examines the daily life of a Syrian family under a hail of bombs and under siege in their own flat. The film pocketed the Magrittes for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound and Best Original Score. It is a strong, politically aware film, just like many of the other movies that were battling it out, and which set the tone for the speeches made by a good many of the winners, who did not hesitate to seize on their televised platform to rail against Belgian migration policy.

Alongside the big winner, there were inevitably some disappointments, particularly for A Wedding [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stephan Streker
film profile] by Stephan Streker and This Is Our Land [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lucas Belvaux
film profile] by Lucas Belvaux, which had eight and seven nominations, respectively. The former was the recipient of the Magritte for Best Supporting Actress for Aurora Marion and that for Best Costumes, while the latter earned Emilie Dequenne, incredible as a young nurse who dives into the world of politics with a populist party, her third trophy in five years.

The Magritte for Best Debut Film was handed to Don’t Tell Her [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Solange Cicurel, produced by Entre Chien et Loup. The Magritte for Best Flemish Film went to Fien Troch for her striking anatomy of adolescence, Home [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fien Troch
film profile], produced by Prime Time and Versus Production, while the Magritte for Best Co-produced Foreign Film was bestowed upon Raw [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Julia Ducournau
film profile], the debut outing by Julia Ducournau, co-produced in Belgium by Frakas. This also means that three female directors were honoured this year, which is so unusual that it deserves a mention – especially as the Magritte for Best Short Fiction went to duo Raphaël Balboni and Ann Sirot for Avec Thelma.

Lastly, the Magritte for Best Actor was given to Peter Van Den Begin, who was outstanding in King of the Belgians [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jessica Woodworth, Peter Br…
film profile] by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth, and the Magritte for Best Documentary went to Jérôme le Maire for the second time, for Burning Out [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile].

Here is the complete list of winners of the 2018 Magritte Awards:

Best Film
Insyriated [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Philippe Van Leeuw
film profile] - Philippe Van Leeuw (Belgium/France/Lebanon)

Best Debut Film
Don’t Tell Her [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Solange Cicurel (Belgium/France)

Best Director
Philippe Van Leeuw – Insyriated

Best Flemish Film
Home [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fien Troch
film profile] - Fien Troch

Best Co-produced Foreign Film
Raw [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Julia Ducournau
film profile] - Julia Ducournau (France/Belgium)

Best Screenplay
Philippe Van Leeuw – Insyriated

Best Actress
Emilie Dequenne - This Is Our Land [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lucas Belvaux
film profile] (France/Belgium)

Best Actor
Peter Van Den Begin - King of the Belgians [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jessica Woodworth, Peter Br…
film profile] (Belgium/Netherlands/Bulgaria)

Best Supporting Actress
Aurora Marion - A Wedding [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stephan Streker
film profile] (Belgium/France/Luxembourg/Pakistan)

Best Supporting Actor
Jean-Benoît Ugeux - Racer and the Jailbird [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Roskam
film profile] (Belgium/France/Netherlands)

Best Female Newcomer
Maya Dory - Angel [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Harry Cleven
film profile] (Belgium/France)

Best Male Newcomer
Soufiaane Chilah – Blind Spot [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nabil Ben Yadir
film profile]

Best Cinematography
Insyriated - Virginie Surdej

Best Sound
Insyriated - Alek Goose, Paul Heymans

Best Production Design
Laurie Colson - Raw

Best Costumes
A Wedding - Sophie Van Den Keybus

Best Original Score
Insyriated - Jean-Luc Fafchamps

Best Editing
Lost in Paris [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon
film profile] - Sandrine Deegen (France/Belgium)

Best Short Fiction
Avec Thelma - Raphaël Balboni, Ann Sirot

Best Animated Short
Le lion et le singe - Benoît Feroumont

Best Documentary
Burning Out [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Jérôme le Maire (Belgium/France/Switzerland)

Honorary Magritte
Sandrine Bonnaire

(Translated from French)