One day after viewing a rough cut of Flemish director Lukas Dhont’s new film, the Cannes Film Festival included it in the announcement of it’s official line-up
Culture
Lukas Dhont’s new film nominated for Palm d’Or – one day after jury sees it
Lisa Bradshaw
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The new film by Lukas Dhont, Coward, has been accepted for competition by the Cannes Film Festival – now the Flemish director just has to finish it. Rather unusually, the festival included the film (pictured above) in its line-up announced yesterday just one day after seeing a rough cut.
Dhont already has a stellar reputation at Cannes, with his first film Girl winning four awards in 2018, including the Camera d’Or for the director and the Queer Palm. His second film, Close, won the Grand Prix and was nominated for an Academy Award.
The producer of the film – Michiel Dhont, Lukas’s brother – was able to send a preliminary version of Coward – a war drama – to the Cannes jury a few days ago, but the movie still needs to be finalised. It’s a race against the clock for a film that the brothers had essentially decided would not be ready for Cannes.
Everyone on the team just got a boost of adrenaline. We will work non-stop for the next five weeks
Lukas Dhont
“We are still editing the film and had the feeling that we needed to spend more time on it,” explains Michiel. “But the early reactions from our colleagues were so positive that we decided to go for it.”
The pair decided on the Friday before the Easter weekend to try to get a rough cut ready and worked through the weekend. “Then we called Cannes to see if they would still be willing to view it,” explains Lukas. “We are lucky that they believe in us, something we felt from the festival for the first two films as well.”
Cannes confirmed that the jury saw the film just one day before announcing the competition line-up. This is unusual but not impossible. “We did not expect that the film would be ready before the festival,” said Cannes’ artistic director Theirry Frémaux. “We saw it for the first time yesterday. But it’s pure cinema.” The festival takes place from 12-23 May.
The brothers are “a bit in shock,” says Lukas. “It’s the very definition of last minute.” The following weeks will see Lukas and editors do further work on colouring, music and sound. “It will happen,” he says. “Everyone on the team just got a boost of adrenaline. We will work non-stop for the next five weeks.”
“There isn’t even a trailer,” says Michiel with a laugh. “And we only have one photo to share with the press. Normally a film in nomination would have a whole marketing strategy worked out months ahead of time.”
Lukas has been working on Coward for four years; it is his most ambitious film to date. Set during World War I, it follows the lives of soldiers surviving the trenches and their attempts to maintain morale.
“There are already many war epics that focus on the battlefield – on no man’s land,” says Lukas. “This film instead highlights a part of war history that we don’t know very much about – soldiers keeping themselves occupied waiting for the next battle by putting together little theatre performances. In the midst of all the destruction and darkness, they’re trying to create a bit of light.”