Belgium/France
The Child
95 MIN
2005
Synopsis
Young, unmarried couple Sonia and Bruno have just had a son, who Sonia names Jimmy. Bruno, who did not visit her while she was in the hospital, scoffs at the notion of what he considers traditional employment, instead eking out a living primarily on petty crimes committed with his fourteen year old associate, Steve. He even sublets Sonia's small apartment while she is in the hospital, sleeping either in the homeless shelter or squatting in what he calls his "shack" down by the river. On the day after Sonia gets out of the hospital, she allows Bruno to take Jimmy for a walk while she stands in line for her benefits. On that walk, Bruno makes the unilateral decision to sell Jimmy to a black market adoption agency. Upon finding out what Bruno has done, Sonia has a breakdown and falls unconscious. Fearing that Sonia will turn him over to the police when she regains consciousness, Bruno tries to get Jimmy back while he leaves Sonia in the hospital in her unconscious state. But Bruno will soon learn that regaining Sonia's trust will not be as simple as getting Jimmy back. And he will also learn that getting Jimmy back is not as easy as giving back the money.
Awards
Palme d’Or, Cannes IFF, 2005; Best French-Language Film, Lumiere Awards, 2006; Best Film, Valdivia IFF, Chile, 2006; Joseph Plateau Awards - Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Actor, Flanders IFF, Ghent, Belgium, 2006
Cast & Crew
Producer(s): Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd
Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Script: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Director of Photography: Alain Marcoen
Production Designer: Igor Gabriel
Sound: Jean-Pierre Duret
Edit: Marie-Hélène Dozo
Cast: Jérémie Renier, Déborah François, Jérémie Segard, Fabrizio Rongione, Olivier Gourmet.
Production: Les Films du Fleuve
Young, unmarried couple Sonia and Bruno have just had a son, who Sonia names Jimmy. Bruno, who did not visit her while she was in the hospital, scoffs at the notion of what he considers traditional employment, instead eking out a living primarily on petty crimes committed with his fourteen year old associate, Steve. He even sublets Sonia's small apartment while she is in the hospital, sleeping either in the homeless shelter or squatting in what he calls his "shack" down by the river. On the day after Sonia gets out of the hospital, she allows Bruno to take Jimmy for a walk while she stands in line for her benefits. On that walk, Bruno makes the unilateral decision to sell Jimmy to a black market adoption agency. Upon finding out what Bruno has done, Sonia has a breakdown and falls unconscious. Fearing that Sonia will turn him over to the police when she regains consciousness, Bruno tries to get Jimmy back while he leaves Sonia in the hospital in her unconscious state. But Bruno will soon learn that regaining Sonia's trust will not be as simple as getting Jimmy back. And he will also learn that getting Jimmy back is not as easy as giving back the money.
Awards
Palme d’Or, Cannes IFF, 2005; Best French-Language Film, Lumiere Awards, 2006; Best Film, Valdivia IFF, Chile, 2006; Joseph Plateau Awards - Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Actor, Flanders IFF, Ghent, Belgium, 2006
Cast & Crew
Producer(s): Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd
Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Script: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Director of Photography: Alain Marcoen
Production Designer: Igor Gabriel
Sound: Jean-Pierre Duret
Edit: Marie-Hélène Dozo
Cast: Jérémie Renier, Déborah François, Jérémie Segard, Fabrizio Rongione, Olivier Gourmet.
Production: Les Films du Fleuve
Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Brothers Dardenne are a Belgian filmmaking duo. They write, produce and direct their films together. The Dardennes began making narrative and documentary films in the late 1970s, but they first came to international attention in the mid-1990s with The Promise. They won their first major international film prize when Rosetta won the Palme d'Or at the 1999 Cannes IFF. Since then all their films have played at the Cannes main competition and won one of the major prizes.
Filmography
Chant du rossignol (doc., 1978), Lorsque le bateau de Léon M. descendit la Meuse pour la première fois (doc. short, 1979), Pour que la guerre s’achève, les murs devaient s’écrouler (doc., 1980), R... ne répond plus (doc., 1981), Leçon d’une université volante (doc., 1982), Regarde Jonathan: Jean Louvet, son oeuvre (doc., 1983), Il court, il court, Le Monde (short, 1987), Falsch (1987), I Think of You (1992), The Promise (1996), Gigi, Monica… et Bianca (1997), Rosetta (1999), The Son (2002), The Child (2005), To Each His Own Cinema (segment Darkness, 2007), Lorna's Silence (2008), The Kid with a Bike (2011), Two Days, One Night (2014), The Unknown Girl (2016), Young Ahmed (2019), Tori and Lokita (2022).
Brothers Dardenne are a Belgian filmmaking duo. They write, produce and direct their films together. The Dardennes began making narrative and documentary films in the late 1970s, but they first came to international attention in the mid-1990s with The Promise. They won their first major international film prize when Rosetta won the Palme d'Or at the 1999 Cannes IFF. Since then all their films have played at the Cannes main competition and won one of the major prizes.
Filmography
Chant du rossignol (doc., 1978), Lorsque le bateau de Léon M. descendit la Meuse pour la première fois (doc. short, 1979), Pour que la guerre s’achève, les murs devaient s’écrouler (doc., 1980), R... ne répond plus (doc., 1981), Leçon d’une université volante (doc., 1982), Regarde Jonathan: Jean Louvet, son oeuvre (doc., 1983), Il court, il court, Le Monde (short, 1987), Falsch (1987), I Think of You (1992), The Promise (1996), Gigi, Monica… et Bianca (1997), Rosetta (1999), The Son (2002), The Child (2005), To Each His Own Cinema (segment Darkness, 2007), Lorna's Silence (2008), The Kid with a Bike (2011), Two Days, One Night (2014), The Unknown Girl (2016), Young Ahmed (2019), Tori and Lokita (2022).
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