Roskam's WWII Film 'Le Faux Soir' to Close San Sebastián — SkimNews
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- San Sebastián International Film Festival has selected 'Le Faux Soir,' directed by Belgian filmmaker Michaël R. Roskam, as its closing film for the September 18–26 edition.
- 'Le Faux Soir' is based on Marie Istas's book about resistance fighters who printed a counterfeit edition of the Nazi-occupied Belgian newspaper Le Soir on November 9, 1943 — an act some historians consider the first-ever media hack.
- The film will screen at San Sebastián immediately after its premiere at TIFF, with a cast that includes Arieh Worthalter, Mélanie Thierry, Karim Leklou, Bouli Lanners and François Damiens.
- Roskam brings a personal connection to the subject: before becoming a director, he worked as a journalist for the Flemish newspaper De Morgen, giving him firsthand familiarity with the press.
- Roskam's feature debut 'Bullhead' (2011) earned an Academy Award nomination for Best International Film after premiering in Berlin's Panorama section, and his 2014 'The Drop' — starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and James Gandolfini — won San Sebastián's Jury Prize for Best Screenplay.
- Roskam's 2017 feature 'Racer and the Jailbird' was selected to represent Belgium at the Academy Awards, and he directed the first three episodes of the 2021 Apple TV+ miniseries 'Black Bird' starring Taron Egerton.
Why it matters: Closing-night slots at San Sebastián typically signal awards-season positioning, and Roskam's prior San Sebastián screenplay prize plus his Oscar history on 'Bullhead' make him a director the festival has already validated. The film arrives at TIFF first, suggesting distributors are tracking it as a potential international awards contender rather than a purely national showcase.
Ask SkimNews
