We Believe You sweeps the board at the René du Cinéma Awards
- Charlotte Devillers and Arnaud Dufeys’ feature debut bags eight Belgian film prizes, including Best Film, Best Actress and two audience awards
The René du Cinéma Awards – the 15th ceremony for the Belgian French-language film awards, previously known as the Magritte Film Awards – were held last Saturday 7 March. We Believe You [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Arnaud Dufeys and Charlotte…
film profile], the first feature film by Charlotte Devillers and Arnaud Dufeys, walked away with an impressive eight prizes, including the most prestigious trophies for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay notably, but also for the brand-new Audience Award, which was created this year. Unveiled last year in the Berlinale’s Perspectives section, where it won a Special Mention, the film has gone on to enjoy consistent success on the festival circuit, notably scooping the Golden Bayard for Best Film and Best Actor at the Namur Film Festival. We Believe You unfolds over the course of a single day and follows Alice and her two children as they’re preparing to attend a hearing in the chambers of a family judge; they’ll be up against the father - and abuser - who is fighting for custody of the children and accusing their mother of abusing them. Playing the mother, Myriem Akheddiou delivers an incredibly intense performance which has been highly praised both by her peers, as demonstrated by the René for Best Actress, and by the public, who awarded her their Coup de Cœur trophy.
The competition for the title of Best Film was ferocious, featuring the Dardenne brothers’ Young Mothers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne
film profile], which triumphed in Cannes, Laura Wandel’s Adam’s Sake [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laura Wandel
film profile], which opened Critics’ Week, Alexe Poukine’s Kika [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alexe Poukine
film profile], which was also unveiled in Critics’ Week back in May and which won the director the René for Best First Film (although she’d already distinguished herself in the documentary field with her feature-length works That Which Does Not Kill [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alexe Poukine
film profile] and Who Cares? [+see also:
film review
interview: Alexe Poukine
film profile] ) and Fabrice Du Welz’s Maldoror [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fabrice Du Welz
film profile], which was discovered in Venice in 2024.
Another film to come out on top was the explosive and psychedelic work Reflection in a Dead Diamond [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani
film profile] by Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, which nabbed the René awards for Best Cinematography, Best Set Design and Best Costumes, and which won the little-known yet talented Yannick Renier the René for Best Actor thanks to his role as an old fashioned secret agent worn down by modernity.
The two René awards for Best Newcomer went to the young cast of Lenny and Harpo Guit’s Heads or Fails [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lenny and Harpo Guit
film profile]: María Cavalier-Bazan, who’s appearing on screen for the first time and is soon to appear in Xavier Giannoli’s new movie, Les rayons et des ombres, is in equal parts astonishing and enthralling as the heroine gambler unburdened by societal constraints, while Maxi Delmelle, a faithful companion in the Guit brothers’ singular universe, is more than capable of carrying their zaniness.
Young actress Salomé Dewaels, for her part, won the Best Supporting Actress René for her subtle performance in line with Pauline Loquès’ first film Nino [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pauline Loquès
film profile], which triumphed a few days ago at the Césars.
The members of the Andre Delvaux Academy who vote upon the winners of these awards also chose to honour Gints Zilbalodis’ Belgian co-production, Flow [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gints Zilbalodis
interview: Red Carpet @ European Film …
film profile], which can now add a René for Best Foreign Film and a René for Best Sound to its existing hoard, which includes an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a César. Johan Grimonprez’s virtuoso film, Soundtrack to a Coup d’État [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Johan Grimonprez
film profile], walked away with the Best Documentary Prize, Cato Kusters’ Julian [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Cato Kusters
film profile] won Best Flemish Film and Baraki (season 2) scooped Best Series.
The full list of winners is as follows:
Films
Best Film
We Believe You [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Arnaud Dufeys and Charlotte…
film profile] - Charlotte Devillers and Arnaud Dufeys (Belgium)
Best First Film
Kika [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alexe Poukine
film profile] - Alexe Poukine (Belgium/France)
Best Flemish Film
Julian [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Cato Kusters
film profile] - Cato Kusters (Belgium/Netherlands)
Best Co-Produced Foreign Film
Flow [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gints Zilbalodis
interview: Red Carpet @ European Film …
film profile] - Gints Zilbalodis (Latvia/France/Belgium)
Best Documentary
Soundtrack to a coup d’Etat [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Johan Grimonprez
film profile] - Johan Grimonprez (Belgium/France/Netherlands)
Best Director
Charlotte Devillers and Arnaud Dufeys – We Believe You
Best Actress
Myriem Akheddiou – We Believe You
Best Actor
Yannick Renier – Reflection in a Dead Diamond [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani
film profile] (Belgium/Luxembourg/Italy/France)
Best Supporting Actress
Salomé Dewaels - Nino [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pauline Loquès
film profile] (France)
Best Supporting Actor
Laurent Capelluto – We Believe You
Best Female Newcomer
María Cavalier-Bazan – Heads or Fails [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lenny and Harpo Guit
film profile] (Belgium)
Best Male Newcomer
Maxi Delmelle – Heads or Fails
Best Original or Adapted Screenplay
Charlotte Devillers and Arnaud Dufeys – We Believe You
Best Cinematography
Manu Dacosse – Reflection in a Dead Diamond
Best Editing
Nicolas Bier – We Believe You
Best Set Design
Laurie Colson – Reflection in a Dead Diamond
Best Costumes
Jackye Fauconnier – Reflection in a Dead Diamond
Best Sound
Philippe Charbonnel, Bertrand Boudaud and Gurwal Coïc-Gallas - Flow
Best Original Music
Vincent Cahay - Maldoror [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fabrice Du Welz
film profile] (Belgium/France)
Best Short Fiction Film
La Moisson - Alice D’Hauwe (Belgium)
Best Animated Short
Autokar - Sylwia Szkiladz (Belgium/France)
Best Short Documentary Film
Réunion de famille - Jean Forest (Belgium)
Audience Award - RTBF Auvio Prize
We Believe You - Charlotte Devillers and Arnaud Dufeys
Audience Coup de Cœur - Proximus Think Possible Award
Myriem Akheddiou – We Believe You
Series
Best Series – National Lottery Prize
Baraki (season 2) (Belgium)
Created by Julien Vargas, Peter Ninane and Fred De Loof
Written by Julien Vargas, Peter Ninane, Sylvain Daï and Pierre Hageman
Directed by Adriana Da Fonseca, Fred De Loof, Govinda Van Mael and Peter Ninane
Best Actress in a Series
Anne Coesens - Pandore (season 2)
Best Actor in a Series
Yoann Blanc - Pandore (season 2)
(Translated from French)
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