Belgians out to conquer Cesars
Although the Cesars awards ceremony, which will take place on February 24, will present a prize to the Best French Film of 2006, many of the nominations have Belgian connections.
Aside from Rachid Bouchareb’s Days of Glory [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean Bréhat
interview: Rachid Bouchareb
film profile] (a co-production by Belgian outfit Versus Production and nine-time nominee) and the 2006 Louis Delluc winner Lady Chatterley [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (a Saga Film co-production that will be presented at the upcoming Berlin Film Festival and also has nine nominations), three other features are Belgian co-productions: Roschdy Zem’s debut feature Bad Faith [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Toto & Co), Michel Ocelot’s animated title Azur and Asmar [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Artémis Productions) and Xavier Giannoli’s The Singer [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Michel de Wouters Production).
Another Belgian title in the running is Chantal Akerman’s Down There, nominated in the Best Documentary category.
Meanwhile, the stunning Cécile de France – Cesar for Best Supporting Actress in 2006 for her role in Cédric Klapisch’s The Russian Dolls [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – is setting out to conquer French audiences with two Best Actress nominations, for Avenue Montaigne [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and The Singer.
In addition to a Cesar, de France also won the Romy Schneider Award last year, a prize presented to young, up-and-coming talented actresses, while the equivalent male prize – the Jean Gabin Award – went to fellow Belgian Jérémie Rénier.
A final mention goes to young actress Déborah François, who could well be the new star this year in France thanks to her role in Denis Dercourt’s The Page Turner [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Denis Dercourt
interview: Michel Saint-Jean
film profile] (see Focus). In Belgium – where she came to public acclaim for her first big-screen role in The Child [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Luc & Jean-Pierre Dardenne
film profile] (see Focus) – François received the Joseph Plateau for Best Actress last year.
(Translated from French)
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