04/02/2019 - The young director scoops the Best Film and Best Director Award for Our Struggles at the 9th Magritte Award Ceremony, while Girl wins four Magritte awards

Guillaume Senez with one of his Magritte awards for Our Struggles (© Magrittes du Cinéma belge)

The Belgian Magritte Film Awards took place on Saturday night, awarding Our Struggles [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Guillaume Senez
film profile] – the second film by director Guillaume Senez – five Magritte Awards. The film was closely followed by Lukas Dhont’s Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lukas Dhont
film profile], which won four awards. The 9^th edition of the awards ceremony served to showcase a new generation of filmmakers, with various first and second films winning prizes.

Guillaume Senez previously distinguished himself two years ago with the Magritte for Best First Film for Keeper [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Guillaume Senez ­
interview: Kacey Mottet Klein
film profile]. The film’s accolades (Best Film, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Supporting Actress for Lucie Debay and Most Promising Actress for a very young Lena Girard Voss) pay tribute to the faithful bond between the director and his producer, Isabelle Truc (Iota Production), who has worked with Senez since his very first foray into film. 

We expected a lot from Girl, a decidedly Flemish film, which received nine nominations. Lukas Dhont was awarded the Best Flemish Film and Best Screenplay awards, while Ariah Worthalter received the Best Supporting Actor Award. In addition to the acting award he received at Cannes in May, the young Victor Polster, 16, was also awarded the Magritte for Best Actor for his outstanding performance.

Let the Corpses Tan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani
film profile] – the explosive and highly-sensory third feature by Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani – was up for eight awards, with its artistic direction earning it three awards for Best Director (for Manu Dacosse), Best Sound and Best Set Design. 

The Magritte for Best First Film was awarded to Olivier Meys' highly sensitive Bitter Flowers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Olivier Meys
film profile], which was produced by Tarantula.

Finally, the Best Actress Magritte went to the actress Lubna Azabal, for her role in Killers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: François Troukens
film profile], the only prize received by François Troukens and Jean-François Hensgens, despite nine nominations.

The full list of winners: 

Best Film
Our Struggles [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Guillaume Senez
film profile] - Guillaume Senez (Belgium/France)

Best First Film
Bitter Flowers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Olivier Meys
film profile] - Olivier Meys (Belgium/France/Switzerland/China)

Best Director
Guillaume Senez – Our Struggles

Best Flemish Film
Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lukas Dhont
film profile] - Lukas Dhont (Belgium/the Netherlands)

Best Foreign Co-Production
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Terry Gilliam
film profile] - Terry Gilliam (Spain/France/Belgium/Portugal)

Best Original or Adapted Screenplay
Lukas Dhont, Angelo Tijssens – Girl

Best Actress
Lubna Azabal – Killers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: François Troukens
film profile] (Belgium/France)

Best Actor
Victor Polster – Girl

Best Supporting Actress
Lucie Debay – Our Struggles

Best Supporting Actor
Arieh Worthalter – Girl

Most Promising Actress
Lena Girard Voss – Our Struggles

Most Promising Actor
Thomas Mustin - The Royal Exchange [+see also:
trailer
interview: Anamaria Vartolomei
film profile] (Belgium/France)

Best Photography
Manu Dacosse - Let the Corpses Tan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani
film profile] (Belgium/France)

Best Sound
Yves Bemelmans, Benoît Biral, Dan Bruylandt, Olivier Thys – Let the Corpses Tan

Best Set Design
Alina Santos – Let the Corpses Tan

Best Costume Design
Nathalie Leborgne - Bye Bye Germany [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Germany/Luxembourg/Belgium)

Best Original Music
Simon Fransquet - When Arabs Danced [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Belgium/Morocco/France/Egypt/Iran)

Best Editing
Julie Brenta – Our Struggles

Best Animated Short Film
Icare - Nicolas Boucart

Best Fiction Short Film
La bague au doigt - Gerlando Infuso

Best Documentary
So Help Me God [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean Libon and Yves Hinant
film profile] - Jean Libon, Yves Hinant (France/Belgium)

Honorary Magritte Award
Raoul Servais

(Translated from French)