09/10/2017 - The new film by French director Samuel Benchetrit, starring Vincent Macaigne, Bouli Lanners and Vanessa Paradis, wound up with three awards in its pocket

On Friday, Samuel Benchetrit’s movie Dog [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] won the Bayard d'Or for Best Film during the closing ceremony of the 32^nd edition of the Namur International French-Language Film Festival.

Dog paints an uncompromising portrait of a man on the road to ruin. Jacques Blanchot loses everything: his wife, his house and his job. He gradually becomes a stranger to the world around him, until one day the manager of a pet shop takes him in. Dog is a gloomy and hopeless farce, in which the hero, played by Vincent Macaigne, chooses to renounce his humanity. As a matter of fact, this role also earned the actor the Bayard for Best Actor, and the movie also took home the Bayard for Best Screenplay. The Bayard for Best Actress was bestowed upon Quebecois actress Camille Mongeau for Tadoussac by Martin Laroche.

12 Days [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], the shocking new documentary by Raymond Depardon, earned its helmer the Bayard for Best Cinematography, which he humbly came to accept in person.

The jury also handed a Special Prize to the French-Congolese documentary Mama Colonel [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Dieudo Hamadi. This shows that once again, the jury of the Namur Festival has really valued the documentary format in its winners’ list.

In the "Debut Fiction Film" competition, Les Bienheureux [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Sofia Djama received the Bayard for Best Fiction Film, while Soldiers. Story from Ferentari [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dawid Ogrodnik
interview: Ivana Mladenovic
film profile] by Ivana Mladenovic scooped the Discovery Award.

The junior jury handed its prize to Bloody Milk [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hubert Charuel
film profile] by Hubert Charuel, which also snagged the BeTV Award for Best Feature Film.

Here is the list of award-winning features:

Bayard d’Or for Best Film
Dog [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Samuel Benchetrit (France/Belgium)

Special Jury Prize
Mama Colonel [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Dieudo Hamadi (France/DR Congo)

Bayard for Best Screenplay
Dog - Samuel Benchetrit

Bayard for Best Cinematography
12 Days [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Raymond Depardon (France)

Bayard for Best Actress
Camille Mongeau - Tadoussac (Canada)

Bayard for Best Actor
Vincent Macaigne – Dog

Bayard for Best Debut Fiction Film
Les Bienheureux [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Sofia Djama (France/Belgium)

Discovery Award
Soldiers. Story from Ferentari [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dawid Ogrodnik
interview: Ivana Mladenovic
film profile] - Ivana Mladenovic (Romania/Serbia/Belgium)

Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature Film
Wallay [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Berni Goldblat (Burkina Faso/France/Qatar)

Audience Award for Best Documentary
Carré 35 [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Éric Caravaca (France)

Junior Jury Award
Bloody Milk [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hubert Charuel
film profile] - Hubert Charuel (France)

Cinevox Award – Belgian Feature Film
Drôle de Père [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Amélie van Elmbt
film profile] - Amélie van Elmbt (Belgium)

Critics’ Award – Belgian Feature Film
Drôle de Père - Amélie van Elmbt

BeTV Award – Feature Film
Bloody Milk - Hubert Charuel

(Translated from French)