JULIE KEEPS QUIET
Directed by Leonardo van Dijl
2024 | Belgium, Sweden | drama | 100 min | Dutch, French | first feature
New Europe Film Sales Boards ‘Julie Keeps Quiet’ by Leonardo Van Dijl – VARIETY article.
Cannes Critics’ Week title ‘Julie Keeps Quiet’ scores French distribution deal – SCREENDAILY article.
Crew
Director: Leonardo van Dijl
Script: Leonardo van Dijl, Ruth Becquart
DOP: Nicolas Karakatsanis
Editing: Bert Jacobs
Music: Caroline Shaw
Art Director: Julien Denis
Costume Design: Ellen Blereau
Sound: Boris Debackere, Gustaf Berger, Arne Winderickx
Cast: Tessa Van den Broeck (Julie), Ruth Becquart (Liesbeth), Koen De Bouw (Tom), Claire Bodson (Sofie),
Laurent Caron (Jeremy)
Produced by: De Wereldvrede (Gilles De Schryver, Gilles Coulier, Wouter Sap, Roxanne Sarkozi
Co-producers: Les Films du Fleuve (Delphine Tomson, Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne)
Hobab (Nima Yousefi), FILM I VÄST (Kristina Börjeson, Anthony Muir)
In assosciation with Hana Kuma
Executive producers: Naomi Osaka, Stuart Duguid, Federica Sainte-Rose and Florian Zeller (Blue Morning Pictures)
With financial support of: The Flemish Audiovisual Fund, the Centre du Cinema et de l’audiovisuel of the French community in Belgium, The Belgian Tax Shelter, Proximus, New Dawn, Film I Väst
Leonardo Van DijlBelgium
Festivals & Awards
World Premiere – CANNES 2024 – Semaine de la Critique (Prix SACD, Prix Fondation GAN)
press quotes
Reviews after World Premiere in Cannes Semaine de la Critique
“Standout of Critics Week 2024”
“A confident debut (…) tautly controlled in its treatment of a current hot-button theme.”
„a tense, absorbing movie of silences and absences”
“a reminder that in key situations, to keep quiet is a stressful, strenuous and, crucially, public activity”
“a gripping study in dysfunction and repression”
“Riveting Debut From Belgium”
“The movie’s silence is so loaded with the anxiety, obstinance, inchoate anger and desire for anonymity of the traumatized teenage sportswoman that the constant thwack of her racquet hitting the ball cuts through the tension like violent shocks.”
“Unfolding predominantly in static frames that keep the story laser-focused, with pinpoint use of American contemporary classical composer Caroline Shaw’s needling vocal score, this is an austerely effective work.”
“The film’s light is soft, just like the silence.”
“Julie Keeps Quiet explores the questions of abuse, domination and control with accuracy and genuine cinematographic intelligence”
“the film is part of a fascinating societal conversation, but it’s also significant in and of itself for its sharp screenplay, the quality of its artistic direction and, last but not least, the impressive performance of Tessa Van den Broeck, a young tennis player in her first on-screen role.”
“a movie which invites us, with its mystery and persistence, to hear and respect Julie’s silence in order to finally overcome it.”
“Haunting character study whose patient rhythms effectively breeds inescapable tension”
““Julie Keeps Quiet” is an exercise in patience, the kind of film, told subtly, with careful hands, without fault.”
“Julie herself, given a layered inner life by Van den Broeck in an incredible debut performance, who keeps our attention.”
