For many years, Wallonie-Bruxelles has been present at this festival and this year has been particularly fruitful!
InSyriated (Une femme syrienne) by Belgian director Philippe Van Leeuw won three awards. The film, which already won an award at the Berlinale, tells the story of a mother and her children surviving in war-torn Syria, hidden in their flat. Bravely, they face each day as it comes, continuing to live despite the shortages and danger, and out of solidarity they shelter a couple of neighbours and their newborn. Torn between fleeing and staying, they keep up hope every day.
The film won the audience award (Prix du Public), the best direction award (Prix de la Mise en Scène) and the best actress award (Prix de la Meilleure Actrice), which was shared by two actresses in this close drama, Hiam Abbass and Diamand Abou Abboud.
The film, which will be released on 6 September in France and 11 October in Belgium, was recently selected at the Toronto International Film Festival and is among 51 films in line for nominations for the European Film Awards.
It received funding from the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles Centre du cinéma et de l’audiovisuel, the Belgian federal government tax shelter and Eurimages.