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The child (L'enfant) - Jérémie Renier, Déborah François, Jérémie Segard, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Threat advisory: Under evaluation

Movie propaganda

Dispossessed 20-year-old Bruno (Jérémie Renier) lives with his 18-year-old girlfriend Sonia (Déborah François) in Seraing, an eastern Belgian steel town. They live off Sonia's unemployment benefits and the panhandling and petty theft committed by Bruno and his gang. Their lives change forever when Sonia gives birth to their child, Jimmy. She returns home after Jimmy's birth to find that Bruno has sublet their apartment to total strangers. After an initial and promising change of heart about becoming a father and changing his ways, Jimmy becomes little more to Bruno than a new source of wealth. Desperate for money and unable to face his parental responsibilities, Bruno sells Jimmy to a black market connection, who promises to find the child an adoptive home. Realizing the error in his actions Bruno sets out to try and undo his callous deed, leading him to a powerful personal transformation.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film Belgian drama unemployment petty crime unplanned pregnancy child black market adoption Belgium

Persons of interest

Jérémie Renier .... Bruno
Déborah François .... Sonia
Jérémie Segard .... Steve
Fabrizio Rongione .... Young Thug
Olivier Gourmet .... Plain-clothes Officer
Stéphane Bissot .... Receiver
Mireille Bailly .... Bruno's Mother
Samuel De Ryck .... Thomas
Jean-Pierre Dardenne .... Screenwriter
Luc Dardenne .... Screenwriter
Jean-Pierre Dardenne .... Director
Luc Dardenne .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

The child (L'enfant) official movie site
The child (L'enfant) film production notes
The child (L'enfant) QuickTime movie trailers

Awards and film festivals:

Cannes Film Festival 2005: Won: Golden Palm (Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne)
César Awards 2006: Nominated: Best Director (Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne), Best Film (Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne), Best Writing - Original (Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne), Most Promising Actress (Déborah François)
David di Donatello Film Festival 2006: Nominated: Best European Film (Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne)
European Film Awards 2005: Nominated: Best Actor (Jérémie Renier), Best Film (Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd)
Guldbagge Awards 2006: Won: Best Foreign Film (Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne)
Joseph Plateau Awards 2006: Won: Best Belgian Actor (Jérémie Renier), Best Belgian Actress (Déborah François), Best Belgian Director (Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne), Best Belgian Film, Best Belgian Screenplay (Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne)

NB: French language dialogue with English language subtitles
Studios and distributors:

Madman Cinema

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

The Belgian, drama movie The child (L'enfant) is directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne and stars Jérémie Renier, Déborah François, Jérémie Segard.