Jean-Pierre et Luc Dardenne (Part 3)

With The Kid with a Bike, their eighth feature film, the Dardenne brothers acquired the status of major filmmakers whose every new work is keenly awaited by critics and moviegoers worldwide. In their three most recent films, they have deepened their themes and refined their style. They continue to observe the impact of the crisis on the deepest layers of the social fabric. But the point of view has shifted slightly. Their gaze is now levelled at people who gain sudden awareness, who get involved and try to help others or to resolve painful situations.

Another significant development: while they had refrained from using famous actors since Je pense à vous, the brothers now resort to big names. Cécile de France in The Kid with a Bike, Marion Cotillard in Two Days, One Night or talented actors who made a name for themselves in their films, such as Olivier Gourmet and Jérémie Rénier.

Like Bicycle Thieves, The Kid with a Bike portrays a quest to find a bike that is worth so much more to its owner than just two wheels, a frame and a bell. Grand Prix at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival (second only to the Palme d’Or) and best European Screenwriter at the 2011 European Film Awards.

Two Days, One Night focuses on the heavy impact of labour deregulation on workers. No longer bound by collective solidarity, the employees of a company are caught on the horns of a dilemma, having to make a choice that has nothing to do with their professional aptitudes.

The Unknown Girl shines a light on the social role of GPs in poor neighbourhoods. Driven by guilt, the doctor, played by Adèle Haenel, begins an investigation to untangle the threads of a crime in which she is unwittingly involved. 

The section on these two Belgian filmmakers in To Each His Own Cinema is their declaration of love for the big screen.

In collaboration with CINEMATEK