The film thus wins for “Close”. This Belgian film is the second feature film by Lukas Dhont and is about the close friendship between two 13-year-old boys. Dhont’s feature debut “Girl” was also nominated for a César in 2019 and was unable to redeem it.
“Close” had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last year and was awarded the Grand Prix there. He has also won several awards at smaller festivals and was nominated for European film awards and the Golden Globes, among others.
“Close” is still on the shortlist for the Oscar for the best foreign film. Whether Dhont wins that prize, we will know halfway through next month. The last Flemish winner at the Césars was “The Broken Circle Breakdown” by Felix van Groeningen in 2014, then also nominated for an Oscar.