The 51st Film Fest Gent premiered 'Julie Keeps Quiet' in Belgium on Thursday evening. Palestinian filmmaker Michel Khleifi also received the Joseph Plateau Honorary Award.
'Julie Keeps Quiet' is Leonardo van Dijl's first feature-length film and has already garnered acclaim at international festivals. Notably, it won two awards at Cannes' Critics' Week. The film follows 15-year-old tennis player Julie, who remains silent while her teammates are encouraged to speak up after their coach is abruptly suspended.
Debut actress Tessa Van den Broeck stars as Julie, with Koen De Bouw and Ruth Becquart in supporting roles.
Produced by De Wereldvrede, 'Julie Keeps Quiet' addresses psychological pressure and silence in sports, a theme gaining international attention. Tennis star Naomi Osaka, renowned for her openness about mental pressure in sports, supported the film through her company Hana Kuma.
On Thursday night, Michel Khleifi received the Joseph Plateau Honorary Award from Film Fest Gent, recognising his career centred in Brussels. The jury praised the "interaction of documentary and narrative elements" in his films and his portrayal of the complex Palestinian situation. "Khleifi has the courage to speak when others remain silent," the jury noted.
Khleifi attended a retrospective of his work, including his debut film 'La Mémoire fertile', the first feature shot in the Palestinian West Bank, and his first fiction film 'Noce en Galilée', which won the Critics' Prize at Cannes and the Golden Shell at San Sebastián.
'Julie Keeps Quiet' will be released in Belgian cinemas next Wednesday. Find out what else to watch in October here.
