Johan Heldenbergh is ‘very happy and proud’ that The worstin which he plays a hired Flemish film director, won the Prix Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival.
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The Prix Un Certain Regard, the most important prize in the side competition at the Cannes Film Festival, rewards daring and original films by lesser-known makers. This year the award went to The worst, the debut of French directors Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret. Heldenbergh plays the role of film director Gabriel who tries to make a film with four young people from a working-class neighborhood in the northern French coastal town of Boulogne-Sur-Mer. The Ghent actor is ‘very happy and proud’ of the award.
“But I also think it’s deserved as a spectator,” Heldenbergh told the news agency Belgian† “This film really has it all: it’s moving, funny, intelligent and a little bit dangerous. I am especially happy and proud for all those women who made the film: the producer, the screenwriter and the two filmmakers. And also for the young actors who are incredibly good’.
The four young characters, Ryan, Lili, Jessy and Maylis, come out on top during the auditions held by Heldenbergh’s character. Hence the name of the movie. ‘Les pires’ means ‘the worst’ in French. The four youngsters each have their problems. The film had its world premiere in Cannes on Sunday.
Belgian Palm?
The Golden Palm, the most prestigious prize at the film festival, will be awarded on Saturday evening. This year the edition is quite tricolore, with three contenders from our own country. Our man in Cannes, reviewer Jeroen Struys, was already wildly enthusiastic about Close by Lukas Dhont, who met Girl ook al of Prix Un Certain Regard won in ’18, in The eight mountains by Charlotte Vandermeersch and Felix van Groeningen. Tori and Lokita by the Dardenne brothers, but lacks the subtlety of their old work, he wrote.
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