The Child
L’Enfant
Directors: Luc and Jean-Pierre DARDENNE
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s astonishing new film was winner of arguably world cinema’s most prestigious award in 2005 – the Palme d’Or (Best Film) at the Cannes Film Festival. It’s that rare thing - a film in which the audience is invited to not only see, but also feel, the potential redemption of a human being.
Eighteen-year-old Sonia (Déborah François) returns from hospital with her newborn son, and looks for Bruno (Jérémie Renier), the rakish twenty-year-old father. When she finds him, he scarcely acknowledges their child, but is coyly happy to see Sonia. Bruno works hard to avoid a conventional job; theft and petty crime are more his style. Perpetually cashstrapped he has even sublet their apartment during Sonia’s hospital stay – forcing the couple onto an unpromising road to parenthood by way of a homeless shelter. Terrified and desperate at the situation, Bruno sells the baby into adoption on the black market, sending Sonia into a state of horror.
Set amidst an industrial wasteland, the film luxuriates in exquisitely observed gestures and gut-wrenchingly honest performances. Alternately heart-rending and uplifting, it exerts a power over the viewer that is simply unforgettable.
Belgium/France 2005 - Drama (100 mins)
In French with English Subtitles
Directors: Luc et Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Script: Luc et Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Cast: Jérémie Renier, Déborah François, Jérémie Segard