11/07/2025 - The Wallonia regional investment fund will bet on Happy Days and Coward, the new films by the acclaimed filmmakers

Directors Susanna Nicchiarelli and Lukas Dhont (© 2022 Fabrizio de Gennaro pour Cineuropa - fadege.it, @fadege.it)

Wallimage, the Wallonia regional investment fund, just shared the titles of the seven projects supported in its 125th session, for a total sum of €1,188,000, which should generate a minimum of €10,456,953 in audio-visual spending in the Wallonia region.

Amongst the supported projects, we will particularly note the new film by Italian filmmaker Susanna Nicchiarelli, who after Nico, 1988 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Susanna Nicchiarelli
film profile] (Best Film in Venice Orizzonti), Miss Marx [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Susanna Nicchiarelli
film profile] and Chiara [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Susanna Nicchiarelli
film profile] (both in competition in Venice) is returning with Happy Days. The film follows Claudia, 20, who navigates between past and future loves, an abusive relationship and some big challenges, but when emotions and anger overwhelm her, she turns into a winged creature with sharp teeth and feline paws. Her journey, between struggle and metamorphosis, explores themes of abuse, protectiveness, coming of age and the search for one’s self. Starring in the film are Carlotta Gamba (Vermiglio [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maura Delpero
film profile]), Riccardo Scamarcio and Bruno Orlando. The film is produced by Vivo Films in Italy, and Tarantula in Belgium. It marks the continuing collaboration between the Liege outfit and the director, after working together on Nicchiarelli’s last three films.

Another supported feature that should please festivals is the new film by young Flemish prodigy Lukas Dhont, a darling of the Cannes Film Festival, with the Golden Camera received for Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lukas Dhont
film profile] in 2018 and the Jury Grand Prix for Close [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Eden Dambrine
interview: Lukas Dhont
interview: Lukas Dhont
film profile] in 2022. This autumn, he will be shooting Coward, which will follow Pierre, a young Belgian soldier in 1916, who discovers love and art in the trench shows while questioning notions of heroism and cowardice. Pierre will be interpreted by a newcomer, Emmanuel Macchia, discovered through open casting, and will be accompanied by young French actor Valentin Campagne (Colours of Time [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Cédric Klapisch
film profile], Case 137 [+see also:
film review
interview: Dominik Moll
film profile]). Coward is produced by the director and his brother Michiel Dhont with The Reunion (Belgium), the company they created a few years ago, and co-produced by Versus Production (Belgium), Topkapi Films (The Netherlands) and Lumen Films (France).

Wallimage will also support two animated features. Mon chien, Dieu et les Pokétrucs by Marine and Cédric Lachenaud is an adaptation of the novel by Myren Duval, published by the Editions du Rouergue. It tells the story of Pauline, 8, who has a bedroom, a dog, quite a personality and some Pokétrucs. All is well. She is therefore very annoyed to learn that her parents are going to welcome a Syrian family with two children. The eldest, Zein, is the same age as her but the beginning of their cohabitation is proving difficult. Pauline has no choice: if she wants peace of mind, she’ll have to find a solution to the war… The film is produced in France by TNZPV Productions, and in Belgium by Belvision.

The fund will also support another adaptation, Journey to the Christmas Star, drawn from the Norwegian theatre classic created in 1924. A previous adaptation as a live-action film was made in 2012 by Storm Films (Norway), who is now developing an animated version entrusted to John Andreas Andersen, and which will be co-produced in Belgium by NWave - which had so far limited itself to majority production, and will soon release the second chapter of the adventures of Hopper.

Finally, the fund will give support to three series, Alice, by Tim Loane and Claire Lemaréchal, dedicated to the first female filmmaker, Alice Guy, and produced in Belgium by Panache and La Compagnie Cinématographique; Oradour - Le dernier témoin by Pierre Aknine, a TV fiction in two 45min parts, produced in Belgium by Sequel Prod; and Aquila, a young audience series (52 x 11) by Daniel Dubuis produced in Belgium by Umedia.

(Translated from French)