The film ‘Coward’ directed by Fleming Lukas Dhont has been selected to represent Belgium at the Oscars. This is the third time a film by Dhont has been accorded this honour. It now remains to be seen whether the film will actually receive an Oscar nomination.
Set during the First World War, the film tells the story of Pierre (played by Emmanuel Macchia), a young Belgian soldier who wants to prove himself on the front line.
There he meets Francis (played by Valentin Campagne), who has been tasked with boosting the troops’ morale through improvised shows. Whilst the fighting rages, everyone tries to escape the brutality of war.
The two young lead actors won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival. ‘Coward’ is also the opening film at the Ghent Film Fest this autumn. The film will be released in Flemish cinemas on 21 October.
This is already the third movie by Lukas Dhont to vie for an Oscar. In 2018, ‘Girl’ was the Belgian entry, and in 2022 it was ‘Close’. That latter film did, in fact, end up being nominated. We won’t know until January whether ‘Coward’ can also secure an Oscar nomination.
Dhont: “Very honoured”
Director Lukas Dhont says he is “very honoured” by the selection of his movie. “It’s a strong year for upcoming Belgian films. I’m naturally very passionate about the film: I hope it can offer a moment of beauty and comfort. It’s a film about the power of togetherness in turbulent times.”
“Above all, I’m really looking forward to showing the film to Belgian audiences,” he says. Because when the film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, it wasn’t actually quite finished. “We finalised the film this summer, with all the special effects, music and sound. So now the film is fully ready to be shown in cinemas.”