Monday 3 August will see filming kick off in Bari, Italy, on L’Or Rouge, the first fiction feature by the Belgian filmmaker of Italian origin Mathieu Volpe, which is thematically in keeping with his already rich filmography. Born in southern Italy, Volpe moved to Belgium to study film having grown up in Rome. His early documentary shorts toured international festivals ranging from Locarno to DOK Leipzig via Turin and Fipadoc, and in 2022, he released his first feature-length documentary, An Italian Youth. From the outset of his career, Volpe has been exploring the major issues faced by exiles from sub-Saharan Africa who come to Europe – notably Italy - in search of a better life. His latest film Eldorado - which won the Magritte Award for Best Short Fiction Film in 2025 - followed the journey of a young Cameroonian snow groomer operator called Awa who helped a determined migrant cross the border between Italy and France.

In L’Or Rouge, Volpe focuses on the journey of Mariama, a 45-year-old Senegalese woman who arrives in a ghetto of agricultural workers in southern Italy. She claims to be looking for work but, in reality, she’s searching for a missing person…

In the role of Mariama, we find the Belgian actress of Senegalese origin Fatou Hane, who’s worked extensively in theatre and who previously appeared on the big screen in The Lost Steps. Starring opposite her are Seydou Sarr - the breakout talent of Io Capitano, which earned him the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice Film Festival - and Abou Sangaré, who was revealed in Souleymane’s Story, for which he received numerous acting prizes, including one within the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes and the César Award for Most Promising Actor the following year.

L’Or Rouge is being produced by Delphine Tomson for Les Films du Fleuve, which was created by the Dardenne brothers who are also co-producing the movie. Les Films du Fleuve have been turning to young Belgian auteurs in recent years, notably supporting the latest film by Laura Wandel, entitled Adam’s Sake, as well as Diane In the Loop, which is the new film by duo Sirot & Balboni which will be unveiled in Venice’s Orizzonti section. L’Or Rouge is co-produced by Marie-Ange Luciani for Les Films de Pierre (France), who previously collaborated with the Belgian company on Enzo and Foreign Language. The feature film enjoys support from the Wallonia Brussels Federation, the CNC, Creative Media Europe, the Tax Shelter via Casa Kafka Pictures, Wallimage, RTBF, Be TV, Proximus, the Italian International Tax Credit initiative and the Apulia Film Commission. International sales will be handled by True Colours.