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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Arnaud Dufeys y Charlotte …
ficha de la película], 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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Luc y Jean-Pierre Dardenne
ficha de la película], which triumphed in Cannes, Laura Wandel’s Adam’s Sake [+lee también:
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entrevista: Laura Wandel
ficha de la película], which opened Critics’ Week, Alexe Poukine’s Kika [+lee también:
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entrevista: Alexe Poukine
ficha de la película], 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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Alexe Poukine
ficha de la película] and Who Cares? [+lee también:
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entrevista: Alexe Poukine
ficha de la película] ) and Fabrice Du Welz’s Maldoror [+lee también:
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entrevista: Fabrice Du Welz
ficha de la película], 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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forz…
ficha de la película] 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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Lenny y Harpo Guit
ficha de la película]: 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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Pauline Loquès
ficha de la película], 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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Alfombra roja @ European F…
entrevista: Gints Zilbalodis
ficha de la película], 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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Johan Grimonprez
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entrevista: Cato Kusters
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The full list of winners is as follows:

Films

Best Film
We Believe You [+lee también:
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entrevista: Arnaud Dufeys y Charlotte …
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Best First Film
Kika [+lee también:
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entrevista: Alexe Poukine
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Best Flemish Film
Julian [+lee también:
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entrevista: Cato Kusters
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Best Co-Produced Foreign Film
Flow [+lee también:
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entrevista: Alfombra roja @ European F…
entrevista: Gints Zilbalodis
ficha de la película] - Gints Zilbalodis (Latvia/France/Belgium)

Best Documentary
Soundtrack to a coup d’Etat [+lee también:
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entrevista: Johan Grimonprez
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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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forz…
ficha de la película] (Belgium/Luxembourg/Italy/France)

Best Supporting Actress
Salomé Dewaels - Nino [+lee también:
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entrevista: Pauline Loquès
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Best Supporting Actor
Laurent Capelluto – We Believe You

Best Female Newcomer
María Cavalier-Bazan – Heads or Fails [+lee también:
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entrevista: Lenny y Harpo Guit
ficha de la película] (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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Fabrice Du Welz
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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)