11/22
Julie is the star of an elite tennis academy. When her coach is under investigation and suddenly suspended, all the players at the club are encouraged to speak out. But Julie decides to remain silent. Belgium’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category; in the category at the 97th Academy Awards in 2025. One name stands out in the credits of this film: Naomi Osaka as executive producer. The tennis player makes no secret of the mental stress that comes with playing at the highest level. That’s what this film is about. It follows Julie, a promising teenage tennis player struggling with the aftermath of a scandal at her tennis club. She is not directly involved in the events, but she cannot avoid them either. Although those around her urge her to “talk about it”, she refuses, insisting that she has nothing to say. Julie seems to be a rather reserved girl, although she is popular with her friends. It is not easy for the viewer to identify with a character who does not show her feelings. The result is that not much happens in the film. We see Julia training, talking to her friends and parents, walking her dog, and going to school. At first glance, her life is not particularly eventful. The viewer has to explore what is going on beneath the surface. We get clues and see how she struggles just like the people around her. But everything is left unsaid, as the title of the film makes clear. The audience at the Ghent Film Festival around me seemed disappointed, but not dismissive. “I was hoping something would happen in the end,” remarked a girl to my right. “What was the point exactly?” remarked a woman to my left. I think the director deliberately left the answer to this question open. He didn’t say it, but left it for us to discover. If it makes sense, I think it could be that preparing young people for a highly competitive sporting environment has to be done very carefully. I know that doesn’t sound impressive and probably won’t compel a lot of people to watch this film. But some filmmakers prefer silent films to high-octane spectacles. Just ask the Dardenne brothers. They also produced this film.