llker Çatak, the director of Germany’s Oscar shortlisted The Teachers’ Lounge with Anne-Katrin Titze on Wim Wenders, the director of Japan’s Oscar shortlisted Perfect Days: “Wim is such a nice guy! He’s not my competitor, he’s one of my teachers.”
Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed), Laurent Cantet’s The Class (Entre Les Murs), Stéphane Brizé’s The Measure Of A Man, starring the unforgettable Vincent Lindon, and Gus Van Sant’s Elephant are four of the films that inspired llker Çatak’s outstanding The Teachers’ Lounge. Shot by Judith Kaufmann, edited by Gesa Jäger (Jakob Lass’s Love Steaks with Lana Cooper and Franz Rogowski; Anna Winger's Transatlantic and Maria Schrader's Unorthodox series with Shira Haas), stars a terrific Leonie Benesch (Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon).
Ms Nowak (Leonie Benesch) in the classroom with her students...
Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed), Laurent Cantet’s The Class (Entre Les Murs), Stéphane Brizé’s The Measure Of A Man, starring the unforgettable Vincent Lindon, and Gus Van Sant’s Elephant are four of the films that inspired llker Çatak’s outstanding The Teachers’ Lounge. Shot by Judith Kaufmann, edited by Gesa Jäger (Jakob Lass’s Love Steaks with Lana Cooper and Franz Rogowski; Anna Winger's Transatlantic and Maria Schrader's Unorthodox series with Shira Haas), stars a terrific Leonie Benesch (Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon).
Ms Nowak (Leonie Benesch) in the classroom with her students...
- 12/31/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
It was easy enough to get made, said German director Ilker Çatak over coffee at the Toronto International Film Festival. He came up with the idea and co-wrote low-budget indie “The Teacher’s Lounge” with his old school-mate Johannes Duncker. “We wanted to make a movie about a young teacher who gets into trouble,” said Çatak. “Education is a topic that everybody has a relationship with. So whether you’ve been in school, or you have kids in school, it’s a universal thing.”
Inspired by a true incident from their school days, the writers set the entire movie inside the school, cutting out the backstory of the idealistic young teacher, Carla (Leonie Benesch). “We eliminated the whole exposition, and jumped right into the action,” said .Çatak. “And another key was to just have it take place in one place. And to restrict ourselves on all kinds of levels: in the screenplay,...
Inspired by a true incident from their school days, the writers set the entire movie inside the school, cutting out the backstory of the idealistic young teacher, Carla (Leonie Benesch). “We eliminated the whole exposition, and jumped right into the action,” said .Çatak. “And another key was to just have it take place in one place. And to restrict ourselves on all kinds of levels: in the screenplay,...
- 11/21/2023
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
For decades, Belgian duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have been directing movies that get inside the challenges of their protagonists. Their trademark handheld camerawork and naturalistic dramas often have a strong sociopolitical perspective, from working-class problems to immigration struggles. Their acclaimed work has yielded countless prizes, including two Palme d’Ors and other awards from Cannes, where they regularly premiere their work.
At last year’s festival, they won a special 75th anniversary prize for “Tori and Lokita,” and it’s easy to see why: The Dardennes embody the kind of the consistency of auteur filmmakers embraced by the festival and cinephiles worldwide.
“Tori and Lokita” follows a pair of young African migrants (Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu) posing as siblings in Belgian while dealing with the older of the pair’s challenge getting residency papers. In the process, they wind up with criminals on their trail searching for money related to a drug deal.
At last year’s festival, they won a special 75th anniversary prize for “Tori and Lokita,” and it’s easy to see why: The Dardennes embody the kind of the consistency of auteur filmmakers embraced by the festival and cinephiles worldwide.
“Tori and Lokita” follows a pair of young African migrants (Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu) posing as siblings in Belgian while dealing with the older of the pair’s challenge getting residency papers. In the process, they wind up with criminals on their trail searching for money related to a drug deal.
- 3/24/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
by Cláudio Alves
The 75th Cannes Film Festival is almost over! If there's any hope of finishing Cannes at Home before the closing ceremony, it's critical to pick up speed. So, here go two days' worth of auteurs in one go.
The Dardennes showed their latest, Tori and Lokita, to some acclaim. However, after The Unknown Girl and Young Ahmed, I'm skeptical about the Belgian duo's tackling of immigrant stories. Mario Martone also returned to the competition, and his Nostalgia could see Perfrancesco Favino winning the festival's Best Actor trophy. In contrast, Saeed Roustayi is competing for the Palme for the first time with Leila's Brothers. All that being said, the big story from these latest festival days was surely Claire Denis' Stars at Noon. Most critics seem to hate it – some even jokingly calling for the director's retirement – while a scattering of ardent fans provides a contrarian takes. For sure,...
The 75th Cannes Film Festival is almost over! If there's any hope of finishing Cannes at Home before the closing ceremony, it's critical to pick up speed. So, here go two days' worth of auteurs in one go.
The Dardennes showed their latest, Tori and Lokita, to some acclaim. However, after The Unknown Girl and Young Ahmed, I'm skeptical about the Belgian duo's tackling of immigrant stories. Mario Martone also returned to the competition, and his Nostalgia could see Perfrancesco Favino winning the festival's Best Actor trophy. In contrast, Saeed Roustayi is competing for the Palme for the first time with Leila's Brothers. All that being said, the big story from these latest festival days was surely Claire Denis' Stars at Noon. Most critics seem to hate it – some even jokingly calling for the director's retirement – while a scattering of ardent fans provides a contrarian takes. For sure,...
- 5/28/2022
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
For their ninth feature film in competition, Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne once again turn to non-actors to give their text fresh new faces for a drama of dire consequences. Tori et Lokita comes three years since their last trip to the Croisette with Best Director winning Young Ahmed, the Dardennes will likely leave the Croisette with some awards recognition – from Critics’ groups to a possible third Palme. Winners for Rosetta (1999) and L’Enfant (2005), they came close to winning for 2011’s Kid With A Bike. They won Best Screenplay in 2008 for Lorna’s Silence. Let us not forget that they also premiered 2011’s Two Days, One Night and 2016’s The Unknown Girl.…...
- 5/25/2022
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, the Belgian brothers who have directed a series of films notable for quiet naturalism, are a prime example of how at the Cannes Film Festival, familiarity breeds not contempt but contentment.
Year after year, Cannes puts the Dardennes’ films in the Main Competition; they’ve made nine features since “Rosetta” in 1999, and every one of them has vied for Cannes’ top honor, the Palme d’Or, with “Rosetta” and 2005’s “L’Enfant” winning and four others taking additional awards. The Dardennes now have a chance to make significant Cannes history by becoming the first directors to ever win the Palme for a third time.
If they win for “Tori and Lokita,” which premiered in Cannes on Tuesday, they’ll also set a new record for the longest time elapsed between Cannes wins, with the 17-year gap since “L’Enfant” breaking the record of 14 years between Shohei Imamura’s...
Year after year, Cannes puts the Dardennes’ films in the Main Competition; they’ve made nine features since “Rosetta” in 1999, and every one of them has vied for Cannes’ top honor, the Palme d’Or, with “Rosetta” and 2005’s “L’Enfant” winning and four others taking additional awards. The Dardennes now have a chance to make significant Cannes history by becoming the first directors to ever win the Palme for a third time.
If they win for “Tori and Lokita,” which premiered in Cannes on Tuesday, they’ll also set a new record for the longest time elapsed between Cannes wins, with the 17-year gap since “L’Enfant” breaking the record of 14 years between Shohei Imamura’s...
- 5/24/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
You can pretty much bet that whenever the Dardenne brothers show up with a new film in Cannes, it will walk away with some sort of prize. That has been the case since 1999 when their first competition film, Rosetta, swooped in at the last minute and won the Palme d’Or and Best Actress. They won a second Palme in 2005 for The Child, the Grand Jury Prize in 2011 for Kid with a Bike, Screenplay in 2008 for Lorna’s Silence and Director in 2019 for Young Ahmed. No matter what the jury, the Dardennes continue to impress, yet none of their films has brought them an Oscar nomination. Their 2011 pic Two Days, One Night did get a surprise Best Actress nomination for Marion Cotillard, but that has been it.
The Belgian brothers are a good bet to be in the Cannes winners circle again this year with Tori and Lokita, an irresistible and...
The Belgian brothers are a good bet to be in the Cannes winners circle again this year with Tori and Lokita, an irresistible and...
- 5/24/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Picturehouse Entertainment has acquired UK and Ireland rights.
Picturehouse Entertainment has acquired UK and Ireland rights to Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s Competition title Tori And Lokita from Wild Bunch International.
The film follows the friendship between a young boy and a girl as they as they make the perilous journey from Africa to Belgium. The film is co-produced by the pair’s Les Films du Fleuve, France’s Archipel 35 and Belgium’s Savage Film.
The directors won the Palme d’Or in 1999 for Rosetta and again in 2005 for The Child. They won the best director prize for Young Ahmed in 2019.
Clare Binns,...
Picturehouse Entertainment has acquired UK and Ireland rights to Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s Competition title Tori And Lokita from Wild Bunch International.
The film follows the friendship between a young boy and a girl as they as they make the perilous journey from Africa to Belgium. The film is co-produced by the pair’s Les Films du Fleuve, France’s Archipel 35 and Belgium’s Savage Film.
The directors won the Palme d’Or in 1999 for Rosetta and again in 2005 for The Child. They won the best director prize for Young Ahmed in 2019.
Clare Binns,...
- 5/22/2022
- by Melissa Kasule
- ScreenDaily
After being cancelled in 2020 and then delayed in 2021, the Cannes Film Festival is finally back on track for May 2022 on the French Riviera. The 75th installment of the international cinema showcase will take place from May 17 to May 28, and there will be 18 films competing for the coveted Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize. Last year that honor went to the French thriller “Titane,” directed by Julia Ducournau. As of this writing several details are still to be announced including who will be on this year’s jury and who will be serving as jury president after Spike Lee presided over last year’s program.
A filmmaker’s previous track record at Cannes can sometimes give us an idea of who’s in a good position to claim the Palme. For instance, seven of this year’s entries in the official competition come from directors who have previously won...
A filmmaker’s previous track record at Cannes can sometimes give us an idea of who’s in a good position to claim the Palme. For instance, seven of this year’s entries in the official competition come from directors who have previously won...
- 4/25/2022
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
The institution’s Film Selection Committee is supporting 109 new projects following its two final sessions of 2020. The Film Selection Committee of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation Film and Audiovisual Centre has just announced the results of its last two sessions of 2020, with 41 feature films, 20 short films, 44 creative documentaries and 4 Lab Films set to benefit from the institute’s support. Among these films, 10 full-length works have been awarded a production grant, including Tori et Lokita, the new film by the Dardenne brothers who are returning after their recent offering Young Ahmed (which won them the Best Director trophy in Cannes 2019). The film will look back on the friendship uniting two youngsters who have travelled alone from Africa and find themselves contending with the cruel conditions of their exile in Belgium. Shooting should unfold in the summer while auditions for the two main roles are currently underway,...
Some movies are slow to reveal themselves, shedding their mysterious tulip petals until nothing is left but the perfect bulb of truth from which the story sprouts. “Mother Schmuckers” — which opens with two bone-stupid adults trying to force-feed their mom a fried pan of human shit until she vomits the film’s title directly onto the camera — is not one of those movies. At just 70 minutes long, it doesn’t have the time.
Then again, you have no idea how long 70 minutes can be. Not until you’ve sat through Harpo and Lenny Guit’s feature debut, Ultimately, it betrays those influences in favor of something that feels more like a Dardenne brothers remake directed by Jake and Logan Paul (and would even if “Young Ahmed” star Claire Bodson wasn’t cast as the titular schmuckered mother).
The world is still wide enough to make room for cinema that celebrates...
Then again, you have no idea how long 70 minutes can be. Not until you’ve sat through Harpo and Lenny Guit’s feature debut, Ultimately, it betrays those influences in favor of something that feels more like a Dardenne brothers remake directed by Jake and Logan Paul (and would even if “Young Ahmed” star Claire Bodson wasn’t cast as the titular schmuckered mother).
The world is still wide enough to make room for cinema that celebrates...
- 1/30/2021
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
While the Sundance Film Festival won’t take place in person in Park City this year, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of reasons to be excited for the virtual edition kicking off January 28. One such acquisition title heating up the fest is “Mother Schmuckers,” the first Belgian film ever to play in the Sundance Midnight section. This jittery buddy comedy about two incorrigible brothers still living with their mother in Brussels has, according to sales agent Best Friend Forever, echoes of “Jackass” and John Waters. Check out the trailer, exclusive to IndieWire, below.
“Mother Schmuckers” is the feature debut of brothers Harpo and Lenny Guit, who wrote and directed the film. Here’s the synopsis from the Sundance Film Festival:
Two low-down, rotten brothers named Issachar and Zabulon are starving and can’t seem to scrounge up a meal anywhere. Things only get worse when they lose...
“Mother Schmuckers” is the feature debut of brothers Harpo and Lenny Guit, who wrote and directed the film. Here’s the synopsis from the Sundance Film Festival:
Two low-down, rotten brothers named Issachar and Zabulon are starving and can’t seem to scrounge up a meal anywhere. Things only get worse when they lose...
- 1/25/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne gave a rousing speech at the Lumière Festival in Lyon on Friday before accepting the event’s lifetime achievement award. They were welcomed to the stage by Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Frémaux (who also runs the Lyon event) and actress Emilie Dequenne, the star of the pair’s 1999 film “Rosetta.” The filmmaking brothers, whose last film was the 2019 Cannes selection “Young Ahmed,” spoke candidly about coronavirus and inequality at a masterclass earlier as part of the festival. (Variety originally reported on the conversation.)
“Few things have changed in the 20 years since we made ‘Rosetta’ [the brothers’ first of two Cannes Palme d’Ors]. The coronavirus is not responsible for everything, and there are still so many inequalities in the world. They are right to fight,” Luc Dardenne said. Along with “Rosetta,” about a young woman struggling to hold down a job in a broken world, the brothers also earned Cannes’ top prize in 2005 with “L’enfant.
“Few things have changed in the 20 years since we made ‘Rosetta’ [the brothers’ first of two Cannes Palme d’Ors]. The coronavirus is not responsible for everything, and there are still so many inequalities in the world. They are right to fight,” Luc Dardenne said. Along with “Rosetta,” about a young woman struggling to hold down a job in a broken world, the brothers also earned Cannes’ top prize in 2005 with “L’enfant.
- 10/17/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
In a warm ceremony on the last evening before a nightly curfew comes into force in France’s major cities, the Dardenne Brothers were awarded the Lumière Award for lifetime achievement at the Lumière Festival in Lyon.
The pair were given a standing ovation as they were welcomed to the stage, to the tune of fellow Belgian Jacques Brel’s “Valse à Mille Temps,” by festival director Thierry Frémaux and actress Emilie Dequenne (“Rosetta”). A host of celebrities attended the ceremony including Abel Ferrera, Stéphane Audiard, the grandson of Michel Audiard and San Sebastian Festival’s revelation Dea Kulumbegashvili, whose debut “Beginning” took four of the jury’s seven prizes including best film.
Earlier on Friday, the brothers had opened up about their career, with characteristic modesty and humor, at a masterclass in the city’s historic Théâtre des Célestins.
Before answering the questions put to them by Frémaux, they...
The pair were given a standing ovation as they were welcomed to the stage, to the tune of fellow Belgian Jacques Brel’s “Valse à Mille Temps,” by festival director Thierry Frémaux and actress Emilie Dequenne (“Rosetta”). A host of celebrities attended the ceremony including Abel Ferrera, Stéphane Audiard, the grandson of Michel Audiard and San Sebastian Festival’s revelation Dea Kulumbegashvili, whose debut “Beginning” took four of the jury’s seven prizes including best film.
Earlier on Friday, the brothers had opened up about their career, with characteristic modesty and humor, at a masterclass in the city’s historic Théâtre des Célestins.
Before answering the questions put to them by Frémaux, they...
- 10/16/2020
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes chief Thierry Fremaux and veteran French filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier, the duo behind the Lumiere Institut and its heritage film festival in Lyon, penned an open letter to support movie theaters.
As in many countries around the world, France has seen its theaters struggle through the summer due to the dearth of fresh releases, as well as the sanitary guidelines amid the pandemic. Theaters in France reopened on June 22 after a near three-month shutdown, but they are only now starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel with positive early numbers for “Tenet,” and a raft of new movies in the pipeline.
“Since Wednesday, the admissions in French theaters seem to be sizzling. Surely, they have not reached their usual level but that should not surprise us since it can easily be explained. It’s not that the films were completely absent [from the screens], but those two months were...
As in many countries around the world, France has seen its theaters struggle through the summer due to the dearth of fresh releases, as well as the sanitary guidelines amid the pandemic. Theaters in France reopened on June 22 after a near three-month shutdown, but they are only now starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel with positive early numbers for “Tenet,” and a raft of new movies in the pipeline.
“Since Wednesday, the admissions in French theaters seem to be sizzling. Surely, they have not reached their usual level but that should not surprise us since it can easily be explained. It’s not that the films were completely absent [from the screens], but those two months were...
- 8/31/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Santiago Segura’s Father There Is Only One sequel is a major new opener in Spain.
South Korea, opening Wednesday July 29
In South Korea, where theatrical releases open on Wednesdays and Thursdays, the new films in cinemas this weekend with top ticket reservation rates, according to the Korean Film Council (Kofic), are led by Lotte Cultureworks’ Jung Woo-sung-starrer Steel Rain 2: Summit - director Yang Woo-suk’s sequel to his North-South Korea political action thriller.
The film opened Wednesday, July 29 and as of Thursday has clocked up $1.2m atop the box office chart.
Further new titles include Chinese shark...
South Korea, opening Wednesday July 29
In South Korea, where theatrical releases open on Wednesdays and Thursdays, the new films in cinemas this weekend with top ticket reservation rates, according to the Korean Film Council (Kofic), are led by Lotte Cultureworks’ Jung Woo-sung-starrer Steel Rain 2: Summit - director Yang Woo-suk’s sequel to his North-South Korea political action thriller.
The film opened Wednesday, July 29 and as of Thursday has clocked up $1.2m atop the box office chart.
Further new titles include Chinese shark...
- 7/31/2020
- by 134¦Jean Noh¦516¦¬1101324¦Elisabet Cabeza¦37¦¬1101325¦Gabriele Niola¦35¦¬158¦Martin Blaney¦40¦¬1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Brotherly Belgian filmmaking duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne will receive this year’s Lumière Award at the upcoming Lumière Festival, which celebrates classic films and cinematic masters each autumn in Lyon, France.
Last year’s award went to Francis Ford Coppola, who joined previous recipients including Jane Fonda, Wong Kar-Wai, Martin Scorsese, Pedro Almodóvar, Clint Eastwood and Quentin Tarantino.
This year’s award will be presented during the Lumière Festival, launched by filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier and Cannes Festival chief Thierry Fremaux, heads of Lyon’s Institut Lumière.
One of the biggest classic film celebrations in the world, with an audience of 250,000 last year, the Lumière Festival will run Oct. 10-18.
“For us, two directing brothers, this award embodies a special emotion,” the brothers said in a statement released by the festival. “It connects us to the original brotherhood of cinema, with the two brothers who filmed for the first time...
Last year’s award went to Francis Ford Coppola, who joined previous recipients including Jane Fonda, Wong Kar-Wai, Martin Scorsese, Pedro Almodóvar, Clint Eastwood and Quentin Tarantino.
This year’s award will be presented during the Lumière Festival, launched by filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier and Cannes Festival chief Thierry Fremaux, heads of Lyon’s Institut Lumière.
One of the biggest classic film celebrations in the world, with an audience of 250,000 last year, the Lumière Festival will run Oct. 10-18.
“For us, two directing brothers, this award embodies a special emotion,” the brothers said in a statement released by the festival. “It connects us to the original brotherhood of cinema, with the two brothers who filmed for the first time...
- 7/16/2020
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Past recipients include Francis Ford Coppola, Jane Fonda, Wong Kar-wai, Catherine Deneuve, Martin Scorsese and Pedro Almodóvar.
France’s Lumière Institute will fete Belgian directorial duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne with its prestigious Lumière Award at the 12th edition of its annual cinema heritage festival, running October 10-18 this year.
Both directors are expected to attend the festival, which takes place at the institute’s headquarters in Lyon, constructed on the sites of the factory and home of cinema pioneers Auguste and Louis Lumière.
The pair immortalised the factory on the big screen in their 1895 short film Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory.
France’s Lumière Institute will fete Belgian directorial duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne with its prestigious Lumière Award at the 12th edition of its annual cinema heritage festival, running October 10-18 this year.
Both directors are expected to attend the festival, which takes place at the institute’s headquarters in Lyon, constructed on the sites of the factory and home of cinema pioneers Auguste and Louis Lumière.
The pair immortalised the factory on the big screen in their 1895 short film Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory.
- 7/16/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦69¦
- ScreenDaily
Created by Cannes chief Thierry Fremaux and filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier, the Lumiere Festival is due to take place in Lyon from October 10-18. Largely a retrospective event with hundreds of restored films, thematic strands and uncovered gems, it will also feature some titles officially selected for the Cannes Classics 2020 edition which was unable to be held owing to the coronavirus crisis. Today, the Lumière Fest announced that this year’s recipients of the honorary Prix Lumière are Belgian auteurs Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
The brothers are among the winningest filmmakers at Cannes, having taken the Palme d’Or twice (for Rosetta in 1999 and The Child in 2005), as well as prizes for screenwriting and directing, among others. They are known for naturalistic films that tackle social issues and shine a light on the young generation. The Lumière festival calls their work, “human, engaged… and crying out for truth.”
Other notable credits include La Promesse,...
The brothers are among the winningest filmmakers at Cannes, having taken the Palme d’Or twice (for Rosetta in 1999 and The Child in 2005), as well as prizes for screenwriting and directing, among others. They are known for naturalistic films that tackle social issues and shine a light on the young generation. The Lumière festival calls their work, “human, engaged… and crying out for truth.”
Other notable credits include La Promesse,...
- 7/16/2020
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
The Midnight Sun Film Festival shines a light on Slovak gems - Festivals / Awards - Finland/Slovakia
The online version of the festival started on 10 June with a screening of Young Ahmed, but that doesn't mean it's forgetting about the old. Despite its move online due to the pandemic (see the interview), Finland’s Midnight Sun Film Festival – which over the years has hosted the likes of Agnès Varda, Terry Gilliam and Francis Ford Coppola, tempted into the Lappish wilderness by the presence of its co-founders, the Kaurismäki brothers – is staying faithful to its signature mixture of the old and the new. Now also through a four-film series of Slovak gems from the 1960s, screened exclusively at the event courtesy of the Slovak Film Institute and available to European audiences until 14 June. “Everybody talks about this phenomenon as the Czech New Wave, but historically speaking, it was the Slovaks who led the way,” writes film programmer and critic Olaf Möller, whose master class “When...
For all the ways Belgium’s Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne are rightly hailed as masterful contemporary realists with an abiding compassion for society’s fringe strugglers — the poor, the undocumented, the criminal, the victimized — they’ve just as easily earned their place as some of the greatest suspense directors of all time.
Their street-level stories, frequent Cannes winners since 1999’s “Rosetta,” typically hinge on a central desperation tied to simple survival, but when played out with their trademark visual restlessness and character-driven purposefulness, they’re often as nail-biting as any genre exercise or melodrama.
Which makes “Young Ahmed,” the pair’s latest dispatch from the viewpoint of a troubled soul — in this case, a 13-year-old Belgian boy in the dangerous throes of religious fanaticism — both a typically unnerving entry in their canon, and a strangely distancing one, given the impenetrability of its lead’s self-destructiveness.
Also Read: In 'Young Ahmed,...
Their street-level stories, frequent Cannes winners since 1999’s “Rosetta,” typically hinge on a central desperation tied to simple survival, but when played out with their trademark visual restlessness and character-driven purposefulness, they’re often as nail-biting as any genre exercise or melodrama.
Which makes “Young Ahmed,” the pair’s latest dispatch from the viewpoint of a troubled soul — in this case, a 13-year-old Belgian boy in the dangerous throes of religious fanaticism — both a typically unnerving entry in their canon, and a strangely distancing one, given the impenetrability of its lead’s self-destructiveness.
Also Read: In 'Young Ahmed,...
- 3/5/2020
- by Robert Abele
- The Wrap
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne might just be the most influential European filmmakers of the last 20 years, with their social-realist handheld camera style becoming a sort of Euro-arthouse cliché at this point. And if you believe their last effort, 2016’s “The Unknown Girl,” felt a little off, then you’d probably be happy to know that this year’s “Young Ahmed” is another unique film in the brothers’ cinematic oeuvre, tackling a controversial character who feels incredibly relevant with today’s political reality.
Continue reading The Dardenne Brothers Discuss Their Polarizing Film ‘Young Ahmed’ [Interview] at The Playlist.
Continue reading The Dardenne Brothers Discuss Their Polarizing Film ‘Young Ahmed’ [Interview] at The Playlist.
- 2/25/2020
- by Jordan Ruimy
- The Playlist
Jean-Pierre Dardenne on Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed): “We're always very concerned with avoiding imagery …” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
With Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed), starring Idir Ben Addi as Ahmed, featuring Myriem Akheddiou, Victoria Bluck, Claire Bodson, Othmane Moumen, Olivier Bonnaud, and Cyra Lassman, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne enter a new realm of their oeuvre.
And yet their latest film, for which they won the top director prize at Cannes, is very much in line with what they do best. They illuminate seemingly impossible situations that are deeply grounded in social realities. Body language, quotidian objects, and a hesitant glance speak volumes.
Luc Dardenne on Idir Ben Addi as Ahmed: “We define the character not by his psychology, but by his accessories.” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
In the second half of my conversation at Ian Schrager's Hudson Hotel with the master filmmakers, I started out...
With Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed), starring Idir Ben Addi as Ahmed, featuring Myriem Akheddiou, Victoria Bluck, Claire Bodson, Othmane Moumen, Olivier Bonnaud, and Cyra Lassman, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne enter a new realm of their oeuvre.
And yet their latest film, for which they won the top director prize at Cannes, is very much in line with what they do best. They illuminate seemingly impossible situations that are deeply grounded in social realities. Body language, quotidian objects, and a hesitant glance speak volumes.
Luc Dardenne on Idir Ben Addi as Ahmed: “We define the character not by his psychology, but by his accessories.” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
In the second half of my conversation at Ian Schrager's Hudson Hotel with the master filmmakers, I started out...
- 2/20/2020
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Best Friend Forever boards sales on Radu Jude’s Berlinale Forum title ‘Uppercase Print’ (exclusive)
Feature tells true story of student arrested by Communist Romania’s secret services after challenging regime of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
Brussels-based sales company Best Friend Forever (Bff) has boarded world sales on Romanian director Radu Jude’s new political drama Uppercase Print ahead of its world premiere in the Berlinale’s Forum section.
An adaptation of 2013 play Typographic Capital Letters by Romanian playwright Gianina Carbunariu, it tells the true story of high school student Mugur Călinescu who was arrested in the early 1980s by Romania’s secret police agency, or Securitate, for graffiti criticising the regime of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
Brussels-based sales company Best Friend Forever (Bff) has boarded world sales on Romanian director Radu Jude’s new political drama Uppercase Print ahead of its world premiere in the Berlinale’s Forum section.
An adaptation of 2013 play Typographic Capital Letters by Romanian playwright Gianina Carbunariu, it tells the true story of high school student Mugur Călinescu who was arrested in the early 1980s by Romania’s secret police agency, or Securitate, for graffiti criticising the regime of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
- 1/21/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
For the first time in its history, the Morelia Film Festival will open with a European film, Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s drama “Le Jeune Ahmed” (“Young Ahmed”), which garnered a best director prize for the Belgian siblings at Cannes last May. Luc Dardenne will be on hand to present the drama, described by Variety critic Peter Debruge as an “instantly recognizable” Dardenne film for having a “deceptively ‘rough’ quality as the directors’ earlier work, a carryover from their documentary background.”
Helmer-scribe James Ivory, who won a best adapted screenplay Oscar last year for his first-love gay drama “Call Me By Your Name” is also making his first visit to Morelia, which will honor him with a retrospective of his films.
“Five continents will be represented in Morelia this year, but most important are the 100-plus Mexican filmmakers participating in this edition,” said Morelia artistic director Daniela Michel.
The festival,...
Helmer-scribe James Ivory, who won a best adapted screenplay Oscar last year for his first-love gay drama “Call Me By Your Name” is also making his first visit to Morelia, which will honor him with a retrospective of his films.
“Five continents will be represented in Morelia this year, but most important are the 100-plus Mexican filmmakers participating in this edition,” said Morelia artistic director Daniela Michel.
The festival,...
- 9/30/2019
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
In a city where film festivals often struggle for stability and longevity, the City of Lights, City of Angeles (Colcoa) French Film Festival has long been a happy outlier, scheduling a week of French film premieres in Los Angeles every April, year after year. That makes it all the more disorienting to see the fest’s 23rd edition kick off tonight, deep into September.
Though prompted by the renovations to its longtime home at the DGA – whose refurbished theater, now tricked out with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, will see its grand reopening tonight – Colcoa’s move to fall nonetheless comes with plenty of advantages.
Previously scheduled before the start of the Cannes Film Festival, Colcoa now has the benefit of picking and choosing from several months of festival lineups. Tonight’s opening film, Ladj Ly’s “Les Miserables,” won the jury prize at Cannes on its way to becoming...
Though prompted by the renovations to its longtime home at the DGA – whose refurbished theater, now tricked out with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, will see its grand reopening tonight – Colcoa’s move to fall nonetheless comes with plenty of advantages.
Previously scheduled before the start of the Cannes Film Festival, Colcoa now has the benefit of picking and choosing from several months of festival lineups. Tonight’s opening film, Ladj Ly’s “Les Miserables,” won the jury prize at Cannes on its way to becoming...
- 9/23/2019
- by Andrew Barker
- Variety Film + TV
Kino Lorber has acquired U.S. rights to Young Ahmed, the latest film from Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne to bow at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Best Director prize this year. The film is having its North American premiere at the upcoming Colcoa French Film Festival in Los Angeles, and it will hit theaters in early 2020, followed by VOD .
The pic centers on a Belgian-Arab Muslim teenager named Ahmed (Idir Ben Addi) who lives in a small town with a secular single mother and siblings. He has frighteningly become radicalized through the influence of a magnetic, local extremist imam and becomes fixated with killing his female teacher in the name of his religious convictions.
Kino Lorber Svp Wendy Lidell and Wild Bunch’s Eva Diederix made the deal along with CAA Media Finance.
“We are proud to present to Us audiences the latest masterwork from Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne,...
The pic centers on a Belgian-Arab Muslim teenager named Ahmed (Idir Ben Addi) who lives in a small town with a secular single mother and siblings. He has frighteningly become radicalized through the influence of a magnetic, local extremist imam and becomes fixated with killing his female teacher in the name of his religious convictions.
Kino Lorber Svp Wendy Lidell and Wild Bunch’s Eva Diederix made the deal along with CAA Media Finance.
“We are proud to present to Us audiences the latest masterwork from Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne,...
- 9/20/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Kino Lorber has acquired the U.S. rights to “Young Ahmed,” the latest film from Belgian auteurs Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, the distributor announced Wednesday.
The film made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where the Dardenne Brothers won the Best Director prize, and it will play at the upcoming New York Film Festival following a North American premiere at the Colcoa French Film Festival in LA. This acquisition gives Kino Lorber five films playing in Nyff’s main slate, including Kantemir Balagov’s “Beanpole,” Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles’s “Bacurau,” Pietro Marcello’s “Martin Eden” and Nadav Lapid’s “Synonyms.”
The film will be rolled out in theaters in early 2020, followed by VOD and home video release.
“Young Ahmed” is a portrait of a 13-year-old, Belgian-Arab Muslim teenager named Ahmed (played...
The film made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where the Dardenne Brothers won the Best Director prize, and it will play at the upcoming New York Film Festival following a North American premiere at the Colcoa French Film Festival in LA. This acquisition gives Kino Lorber five films playing in Nyff’s main slate, including Kantemir Balagov’s “Beanpole,” Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles’s “Bacurau,” Pietro Marcello’s “Martin Eden” and Nadav Lapid’s “Synonyms.”
The film will be rolled out in theaters in early 2020, followed by VOD and home video release.
“Young Ahmed” is a portrait of a 13-year-old, Belgian-Arab Muslim teenager named Ahmed (played...
- 9/18/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
“Young Ahmed,” which won the best director prize at Cannes for Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, has been acquired for the U.S. by Kino Lorber. The film will have its North American premiere at Colcoa and will go on to play at New York Film Festival.
Set in a small town, “Young Ahmed” follows a Belgian Muslim teenager named Ahmed (played by newcomer Idir Ben Addi) who lives with his secular single mother and siblings, and falls under the influence of a magnetic extremist imam. Ahmed is radicalized and becomes fixated on killing his female teacher in the name of his religious convictions.
“We are proud to present to U.S. audiences the latest masterwork from Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne,” said Kino Lorber senior vice president Wendy Lidell, who negotiated the deal with Eva Diederix, head of international sales of Wild Bunch and CAA Media Finance. “Like all their great films,...
Set in a small town, “Young Ahmed” follows a Belgian Muslim teenager named Ahmed (played by newcomer Idir Ben Addi) who lives with his secular single mother and siblings, and falls under the influence of a magnetic extremist imam. Ahmed is radicalized and becomes fixated on killing his female teacher in the name of his religious convictions.
“We are proud to present to U.S. audiences the latest masterwork from Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne,” said Kino Lorber senior vice president Wendy Lidell, who negotiated the deal with Eva Diederix, head of international sales of Wild Bunch and CAA Media Finance. “Like all their great films,...
- 9/18/2019
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The 23rd annual Colcoa French Film Festival in Los Angeles, taking place September 23-28 at the Directors Guild of America, has landed the U.S. premiere of Amazon Studios’ Oscar contender “Les Misérables” for its opening night. The film directed by Ladj Ly, which won the Jury Prize at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, will kick off a week of new and classic French-language films for La audiences.
The event will offer a splashy La bow for Amazon’s Oscar hopeful in a city packed with Academy voters. France has yet to submit a film for the 2020 Best International Film Oscar, but “Les Misérables” is among the top contenders. Inspired by the riots of 2005 in the suburbs of Paris, Ly’s film revolves around three members of an anti-crime brigade who are overrun while trying to make an arrest.
“This high-profile program includes several films from Cannes and Venice programmed for...
The event will offer a splashy La bow for Amazon’s Oscar hopeful in a city packed with Academy voters. France has yet to submit a film for the 2020 Best International Film Oscar, but “Les Misérables” is among the top contenders. Inspired by the riots of 2005 in the suburbs of Paris, Ly’s film revolves around three members of an anti-crime brigade who are overrun while trying to make an arrest.
“This high-profile program includes several films from Cannes and Venice programmed for...
- 8/28/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Line-up includes the North American premieres of Costa-Gavras’ political thriller Adults In The Room, the Dardenne brothers’ drama Young Ahmed.
The 23rd annual Colcoa French Film Festival in Los Angeles will open on Sept. 23 with the Us premiere of Ladj Ly’s hit Cannes drama Les Misérables.
The line-up includes the North American premieres of Costa-Gavras’ political thriller Adults In The Room, the Dardenne brothers’ drama Young Ahmed, Christophe Honoré’s On A Magical Night, Cédric Klapisch’s Someone, Somewhere, Cédric Kahn’s Happy Birthday, and Marie-Sophie Chambon’s debut feature Stars By The Pound.
Receiving its Us premiere is...
The 23rd annual Colcoa French Film Festival in Los Angeles will open on Sept. 23 with the Us premiere of Ladj Ly’s hit Cannes drama Les Misérables.
The line-up includes the North American premieres of Costa-Gavras’ political thriller Adults In The Room, the Dardenne brothers’ drama Young Ahmed, Christophe Honoré’s On A Magical Night, Cédric Klapisch’s Someone, Somewhere, Cédric Kahn’s Happy Birthday, and Marie-Sophie Chambon’s debut feature Stars By The Pound.
Receiving its Us premiere is...
- 8/27/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
It includes Berlin Golden Bear winner Synonyms and Cannes prize winners Les Miserables, Young Ahmed, Pain And Glory and Little Joe.
The 46 films recommended for nomination for the 2019 European Film Awards have been announced.
Scroll down for the full list of titles
The selection includes Berlin Golden Bear winner Synonyms and Cannes prize winners Les Miserables, Young Ahmed, Pain And Glory, Portrait Of A Lady On Fire and Little Joe.
The films were selected by a committee consisting of the Efa board and experts Giorgio Gosetti (festival programmer), Kathrin Kohlstedde (festival programmer), Paz Lazaro (festival programmer), Mary Nazari (exhibitor), Edvinas...
The 46 films recommended for nomination for the 2019 European Film Awards have been announced.
Scroll down for the full list of titles
The selection includes Berlin Golden Bear winner Synonyms and Cannes prize winners Les Miserables, Young Ahmed, Pain And Glory, Portrait Of A Lady On Fire and Little Joe.
The films were selected by a committee consisting of the Efa board and experts Giorgio Gosetti (festival programmer), Kathrin Kohlstedde (festival programmer), Paz Lazaro (festival programmer), Mary Nazari (exhibitor), Edvinas...
- 8/20/2019
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
It includes Berlin Golden Bear winner Synonyms and Cannes prize winners Les Miserables, Young Ahmed, Pain And Glory and Little Joe.
The 46 films recommended for nomination for the 2019 European Film Awards have been announced.
Scroll down for the full list of titles
The selection includes Berlin Golden Bear winner Synonyms and Cannes prize winners Les Miserables, Young Ahmed, Pain And Glory, Portrait Of A Lady On Fire and Little Joe.
The films were selected by a committee consisting of the Efa board and experts Giorgio Gosetti (festival programmer), Kathrin Kohlstedde (festival programmer), Paz Lazaro (festival programmer), Mary Nazari (exhibitor), Edvinas...
The 46 films recommended for nomination for the 2019 European Film Awards have been announced.
Scroll down for the full list of titles
The selection includes Berlin Golden Bear winner Synonyms and Cannes prize winners Les Miserables, Young Ahmed, Pain And Glory, Portrait Of A Lady On Fire and Little Joe.
The films were selected by a committee consisting of the Efa board and experts Giorgio Gosetti (festival programmer), Kathrin Kohlstedde (festival programmer), Paz Lazaro (festival programmer), Mary Nazari (exhibitor), Edvinas...
- 8/20/2019
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Wild Bunch is spinning off its international sales operation as a standalone company launched by French film industry veteran Vincent Maraval and Brahim Chioua, two of Wild Bunch’s co-founders.
The new outfit, Wild Bunch International (Wbi), which is being set up as a subsidiary of Wild Bunch, will handle world distribution on French and foreign films. Its aim is to handle 20 to 30 films per year, according to documents filed at the Paris commercial court. Wbi will pick up all of Wild Bunch’s sales business, including on library titles, even though the library will still be owned by Wild Bunch, a company rep told Variety.
In a statement, Wild Bunch said that the new setup would enable Wild Bunch to “expand its portfolio of film financing and sales activities, including working with third-party partners.”
“For our international sales department, this streamlined structure offers exciting growth prospects that will benefit...
The new outfit, Wild Bunch International (Wbi), which is being set up as a subsidiary of Wild Bunch, will handle world distribution on French and foreign films. Its aim is to handle 20 to 30 films per year, according to documents filed at the Paris commercial court. Wbi will pick up all of Wild Bunch’s sales business, including on library titles, even though the library will still be owned by Wild Bunch, a company rep told Variety.
In a statement, Wild Bunch said that the new setup would enable Wild Bunch to “expand its portfolio of film financing and sales activities, including working with third-party partners.”
“For our international sales department, this streamlined structure offers exciting growth prospects that will benefit...
- 7/1/2019
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
After eleven days of screenings, crowds, screams, talks, questions, answers, joys, sorrows, satisfaction and disappointments, the time has arrived for Smiles, hand shakes, hugs and kisses ? it is the awards night at Cannes and all the awards are taken.
South Korean Bong Joon-Ho?s tragi-comedy Parasite in which the filmmaker juxtaposes a poor, talented, close knit and aspiring family living in the basement with a rich, na?ve, clueless family living in a mansion was adjudged the best film by the Jury led by Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu and lifted the Golden Palm, the first ever for South Korea and the director. The French Actress Catherine Deneuve along with Inarritu presented the Award to Bong Joon-Ho.?
A couple of days back, during the screening of the film, the theatre filled to capacity, witnessed riotous laughter all through the film, including the tragic end. In an Academy Awards scenario, the film could...
South Korean Bong Joon-Ho?s tragi-comedy Parasite in which the filmmaker juxtaposes a poor, talented, close knit and aspiring family living in the basement with a rich, na?ve, clueless family living in a mansion was adjudged the best film by the Jury led by Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu and lifted the Golden Palm, the first ever for South Korea and the director. The French Actress Catherine Deneuve along with Inarritu presented the Award to Bong Joon-Ho.?
A couple of days back, during the screening of the film, the theatre filled to capacity, witnessed riotous laughter all through the film, including the tragic end. In an Academy Awards scenario, the film could...
- 5/28/2019
- GlamSham
On Saturday, the Cannes Film Festival revealed who and what their honorees were for the 2019 incarnation of the fest. The race for the Palme d’Or had been considered one of the most competitive in recent years, as most of the major contenders met or exceeded expectations. The tip had been that the prize would go to either Pain and Glory from Pedro Almodovar or Parasite from Bong Joon-ho, with Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood potentially a spoiler. Well, the results are in, courtesy of the jury led by Alejandro González Iñárritu and comprised of Enki Bilal, Robin Campillo, Maimouna N’Diaye, Elle Fanning, Yorgos Lanthimos, Paweł Pawlikowski, Kelly Reichardt, and Alice Rohrwacher. Who and what did they pick? Time to find out. The top prize went to Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, one of the festival’s presumed frontrunners for the award. As for other notable results,...
- 5/27/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
South Korean film "Parasite", a dark comedy by Bong Joon-ho, won the coveted Palme d'Or at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival, where Quentin Tarantinos "Once Upon A Time" was praised highly but returned empty handed.
At the Cannes closing ceremony, on Saturday night, Joon-ho got a standing ovation and a loud cheer from the audience when his film was named the Palme d'Or winner, reported hollywoodreporter.com.
Jury president Alejandro Gonz?lez I??rritu said the Palme d'Or decision was "unanimous".
Antonio Banderas won the best actor award for his role as a past-his-prime director in Pedro Almod?var's "Pain and Glory", and Mati Diop's "Atlantics" landed the runner-up Grand Prix award.
Banderas, who teamed up with Almod?var for the eighth time, said, "I met Pedro 40 years ago, 8 movies together. I respect him, admire him, love him. He's given me so much in my life that this award obviously is dedicated to him.
At the Cannes closing ceremony, on Saturday night, Joon-ho got a standing ovation and a loud cheer from the audience when his film was named the Palme d'Or winner, reported hollywoodreporter.com.
Jury president Alejandro Gonz?lez I??rritu said the Palme d'Or decision was "unanimous".
Antonio Banderas won the best actor award for his role as a past-his-prime director in Pedro Almod?var's "Pain and Glory", and Mati Diop's "Atlantics" landed the runner-up Grand Prix award.
Banderas, who teamed up with Almod?var for the eighth time, said, "I met Pedro 40 years ago, 8 movies together. I respect him, admire him, love him. He's given me so much in my life that this award obviously is dedicated to him.
- 5/26/2019
- GlamSham
The Feature Film Jury of the main competition for the 72nd Cannes International Film Festival has spoken, and in judging the 21 entries eligible for the Palme d’Or and other prizes, they have gone dark, very very dark.
But that isn’t atypical of past Cannes juries, who are notoriously unpredictable (which is why I don’t commit the fools errand of trying to predict them), and often influenced by the weight of the world around them. The direction President Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s jury would take is sort of written in stone, as I pointed out in reporting his remarks to the audience at the opening night ceremony.
“We shall do our best to see what resonates with us, disturbs us, and makes us feel ill at ease,” he said, making it sound like they are not expecting to have much fun in the cinema the next 12 days. “We...
But that isn’t atypical of past Cannes juries, who are notoriously unpredictable (which is why I don’t commit the fools errand of trying to predict them), and often influenced by the weight of the world around them. The direction President Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s jury would take is sort of written in stone, as I pointed out in reporting his remarks to the audience at the opening night ceremony.
“We shall do our best to see what resonates with us, disturbs us, and makes us feel ill at ease,” he said, making it sound like they are not expecting to have much fun in the cinema the next 12 days. “We...
- 5/25/2019
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Cannes — The 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival wrapped with jury president Alejandro González Iñárritu announcing the group’s unanimous decision to award the Palme d’Or to South Korean director Bong Joon-ho for his sly, politically charged “Parasite.” Following last year’s win for humanistic Japanese drama “Shoplifters,” the well-reviewed Asian thriller represents the yin to that film’s yang: the story of a lower-class family who try to improve their social situation by infiltrating a rich household.
Explaining the group’s collective enthusiasm for “Parasite” at the post-ceremony press conference, Iñárritu said, “We all shared the mystery of the unexpected way this film took us through different genres and spoke in a funny, humorous, tender way — with no judgment — of something so relevant and urgent, so global in such a local film, with such a beautiful efficiency of media, and an understanding of what film really is.
Explaining the group’s collective enthusiasm for “Parasite” at the post-ceremony press conference, Iñárritu said, “We all shared the mystery of the unexpected way this film took us through different genres and spoke in a funny, humorous, tender way — with no judgment — of something so relevant and urgent, so global in such a local film, with such a beautiful efficiency of media, and an understanding of what film really is.
- 5/25/2019
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
For the second year in a row, the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival has gone to an Asian film about a close-knit family of con artists. A year after Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Shoplifters” won the 2018 award, Alejandro G. Inarritu’s jury gave this year’s top prize to Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” one of the most critically acclaimed films of this year’s festival.
In his review on TheWrap, Ben Croll called the film “a genre-bending dark comedy with searing class consciousness” and labeled it a return to form for the director whose last two films were the English-language “Snowpiercer” and “Okja.”
The Grand Prix, the jury’s second place award, went to the first black woman director ever in the Cannes competition, Mati Diop, for “Atlantics.”
Also Read: 'Parasite' Film Review: Bong Joon-ho Tackles Disparity With Delicious Dark Comedy
Antonio Banderas won the...
In his review on TheWrap, Ben Croll called the film “a genre-bending dark comedy with searing class consciousness” and labeled it a return to form for the director whose last two films were the English-language “Snowpiercer” and “Okja.”
The Grand Prix, the jury’s second place award, went to the first black woman director ever in the Cannes competition, Mati Diop, for “Atlantics.”
Also Read: 'Parasite' Film Review: Bong Joon-ho Tackles Disparity With Delicious Dark Comedy
Antonio Banderas won the...
- 5/25/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Dardenne brothers are well known for their films that focus on issues affecting the youngsters. The Son, The Child, The Kid With A Bike, and The Unknown Girl ? all the films portrayed the problems of youngsters and how the society reacted to them.
In his latest film Young Ahmed, screened in competition in Cannes this year, the filmmaker duo catch the burning subject of radicalization of young minds, driving them to violence and their destruction and deliver a highly poignant and powerful film.
Young Ahmed and his cousin come in contact with a local grocer in a small Belgium town who also doubles up as local Imam. His teachings charge the young minds with venom and hatred against those, especially muslims, who do not follow the tenets and practices of Wahabi Islam where the women are impure and remain subjugated. Ahmed has reached the stage of radicalization when he berates...
In his latest film Young Ahmed, screened in competition in Cannes this year, the filmmaker duo catch the burning subject of radicalization of young minds, driving them to violence and their destruction and deliver a highly poignant and powerful film.
Young Ahmed and his cousin come in contact with a local grocer in a small Belgium town who also doubles up as local Imam. His teachings charge the young minds with venom and hatred against those, especially muslims, who do not follow the tenets and practices of Wahabi Islam where the women are impure and remain subjugated. Ahmed has reached the stage of radicalization when he berates...
- 5/24/2019
- GlamSham
Film sales heated up on the Croisette as the Cannes Film Festival entered its second week.
On Monday, Fox Searchlight snapped up the U.S. rights, along with some international rights, to Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life,” selling for $14 million, according to THR.
The deal is one of the largest of the festival so far, and it was a result of a heated bidding war that also included Netflix and Paramount, according to an individual with knowledge.
In Monday’s report, we mentioned that the film was heralded as a beautiful, poetic return to form for Malick, who is back at Cannes after winning the Palme d’Or for “The Tree of Life” back in 2011. August Diehl stars in the film about a World War II conscientious objector in Austria who refused to fight for the Nazis. The film is told in English and German, and Matthias Schoenaerts, Valerie Pachner,...
On Monday, Fox Searchlight snapped up the U.S. rights, along with some international rights, to Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life,” selling for $14 million, according to THR.
The deal is one of the largest of the festival so far, and it was a result of a heated bidding war that also included Netflix and Paramount, according to an individual with knowledge.
In Monday’s report, we mentioned that the film was heralded as a beautiful, poetic return to form for Malick, who is back at Cannes after winning the Palme d’Or for “The Tree of Life” back in 2011. August Diehl stars in the film about a World War II conscientious objector in Austria who refused to fight for the Nazis. The film is told in English and German, and Matthias Schoenaerts, Valerie Pachner,...
- 5/21/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
The Dardenne brothers’ ‘Young Ahmed’ scored mid-range.
Céline Sciamma’s Portrait Of A Lady On Fire received impressive marks on Screen’s Cannes jury grid to move into second place, with the Dardenne brothers’ latest film Young Ahmed landing nearer the middle of the scores.
Sciamma’s first Cannes Competition title took an average of 3.1 from our ten critics, surpassed only by Pedro Almodóvar’s Pain And Gain so far this year. It took top mark fours (excellent) from La Times’ Justin Chang, The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw, and Die Zeit’s Katja Nicodemus, with no critic awarding it lower...
Céline Sciamma’s Portrait Of A Lady On Fire received impressive marks on Screen’s Cannes jury grid to move into second place, with the Dardenne brothers’ latest film Young Ahmed landing nearer the middle of the scores.
Sciamma’s first Cannes Competition title took an average of 3.1 from our ten critics, surpassed only by Pedro Almodóvar’s Pain And Gain so far this year. It took top mark fours (excellent) from La Times’ Justin Chang, The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw, and Die Zeit’s Katja Nicodemus, with no critic awarding it lower...
- 5/21/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
In “Young Ahmed,” a pubescent Ahmed is enamored with hardline Islam. He diligently prays five times a day. He criticizes his mother for drinking wine, his sister for showing cleavage, his female teacher for promoting Arabic in song.
But when Ahmed steps over the line toward violence, he finds himself in a youth detention center, nursing an extremist philosophy while being coached back toward Western society.
Going where a documentary cannot, directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, the Belgian brothers who are Cannes Film Festival favorites, explore the heart-wrenching allure of politicized Islam to some young Muslims in Europe. The film screened in the main competition on Monday.
Also Read: Cannes Report, Day 6: 'The Lighthouse' Shines, Tarantino Begs for No Spoilers
What draws these young (mostly) men to a philosophy of an exclusionary and violent Islam? The sweet-faced and smooth-cheeked Ahmed (Idir Ben Addi), betrays little emotion. But his father is gone,...
But when Ahmed steps over the line toward violence, he finds himself in a youth detention center, nursing an extremist philosophy while being coached back toward Western society.
Going where a documentary cannot, directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, the Belgian brothers who are Cannes Film Festival favorites, explore the heart-wrenching allure of politicized Islam to some young Muslims in Europe. The film screened in the main competition on Monday.
Also Read: Cannes Report, Day 6: 'The Lighthouse' Shines, Tarantino Begs for No Spoilers
What draws these young (mostly) men to a philosophy of an exclusionary and violent Islam? The sweet-faced and smooth-cheeked Ahmed (Idir Ben Addi), betrays little emotion. But his father is gone,...
- 5/20/2019
- by Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
There’s a darkness to “Young Ahmed” that audiences have never seen before in the work of Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, the gifted Belgian brothers whose profoundly humane, unapologetically realist dramas have twice earned them the Palme d’Or in Cannes. Like surrogate parents to troubled children, the sibling directors have taken on their share of difficult adolescents. In “Rosetta,” “The Son,” and “The Kid With a Bike” in particular, the characters’ circumstances may be harsh, but audiences can sense an underlying optimism behind those stories, whereas with Ahmed, a radicalized Muslim teenager who tries to kill his teacher, there’s a difference: He could be too far gone to save.
In a sense, that brings fresh urgency to the latest from a pair of master filmmakers whose style has become so familiar that audiences can almost predict how their intense slice-of-life scenarios might play out. But introduce a 13-year-old itching for jihad,...
In a sense, that brings fresh urgency to the latest from a pair of master filmmakers whose style has become so familiar that audiences can almost predict how their intense slice-of-life scenarios might play out. But introduce a 13-year-old itching for jihad,...
- 5/20/2019
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne excel at showing how the struggles of the underprivileged can lead them down morally questionable paths, but when “Young Ahmed” begins, that journey has started long ago. As 13-year-old Ahmed (Idir Ben Addi in a breakout turn) spends his days studying radical Islam with Imam Youssouf (Othmane Moumen), much to the consternation of his frantic mother Louise (Claire Bodson), the child has already committed himself to jihad. Within the first act of the movie, he has sworn himself to murdering his secular teacher Ines (Miriam Akheddiou), and the reckless act lands him in juvenile detention. The rest of the movie finds the kid struggling with his confused ideology, as various characters attempt to sway his beliefs.
In the pantheon of Dardenne brothers movies from the past three decades, “Young Ahmed” lies somewhere on the spectrum ahead of mediocre works like “The Unknown Girl” but...
In the pantheon of Dardenne brothers movies from the past three decades, “Young Ahmed” lies somewhere on the spectrum ahead of mediocre works like “The Unknown Girl” but...
- 5/20/2019
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Well, this is it, folks. Time to talk about one of the most important film events of the year — the Cannes Film Festival — and which buzzy titles are up for grabs this year.
There’s a hot package starring Chris Hemsworth and Tiffany Haddish titled “Down Under Cover.” Roland Emmerich directs a sci-fi project called “Moonfall.” Newly minted Oscar winner Olivia Colman stars with Anthony Hopkins in a drama called “The Father.” And Anthony Mackie reunites with “Avengers” co-star Samuel L. Jackson in “The Banker,” while the Russo Brothers reteam with Tom Holland for “Cherry.”
This year’s lineup features everything from space odysseys to WWII dramas to rom-coms to political dramas. Some directors are heading back to the Croisette for their sixth time to compete (“Oh Mercy!” director Arnaud Desplechin), while others, like Florian Zeller, are traveling to the French Riviera town for the first time.
Also Read: Chris...
There’s a hot package starring Chris Hemsworth and Tiffany Haddish titled “Down Under Cover.” Roland Emmerich directs a sci-fi project called “Moonfall.” Newly minted Oscar winner Olivia Colman stars with Anthony Hopkins in a drama called “The Father.” And Anthony Mackie reunites with “Avengers” co-star Samuel L. Jackson in “The Banker,” while the Russo Brothers reteam with Tom Holland for “Cherry.”
This year’s lineup features everything from space odysseys to WWII dramas to rom-coms to political dramas. Some directors are heading back to the Croisette for their sixth time to compete (“Oh Mercy!” director Arnaud Desplechin), while others, like Florian Zeller, are traveling to the French Riviera town for the first time.
Also Read: Chris...
- 5/13/2019
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Over the past two decades, the Dardenne brothers, Jean-Pierre and Luc, have won two Palme d’Ors at Cannes, the first of which was for “Rosetta,” in 1999. Perhaps they’re going to be gunning for a third with “Young Ahmed,” a new drama playing in competition at the Cannes Film Festival next month that also threatens to be the Belgian filmmaker’s most controversial film to date.
Continue reading ‘Young Ahmed’ Trailer: The Dardennes Craft A Controversial Film About A Radicalized Muslim Teen That’s Heading To Cannes at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Young Ahmed’ Trailer: The Dardennes Craft A Controversial Film About A Radicalized Muslim Teen That’s Heading To Cannes at The Playlist.
- 4/26/2019
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Nineteen films are in contention for the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, which runs from May 14 to May 25. The history of a filmmaker at this festival can offer wisdom as to who could be out front to win the coveted Palme d’Or. Seven of the entries are by filmmakers that have been honored during past closing ceremonies. Newcomers to Cannes could end up being big winners with three filmmakers making their first appearance on the Croisette and another four having their films shown for the first time in competition. The jury will be headed by four-time Oscar winner Alejandro González Iñárritu, who claimed the Best Director prize at Cannes in 2006 for “Babel.”
Below is a breakdown of the 19 films competing this year and the history of their helmers at the festival.
Pedro Almodóvar (“Pain and Glory”)
The acclaimed Spanish director is back at Cannes...
Below is a breakdown of the 19 films competing this year and the history of their helmers at the festival.
Pedro Almodóvar (“Pain and Glory”)
The acclaimed Spanish director is back at Cannes...
- 4/22/2019
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
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