Julie Zwijgt
Leonardo van Dijl’s acclaimed debut film shows a tennis prodigy at a breaking point in her career when she refuses to speak up amidst abuse allegations directed at her coach.
This perfectly poised debut feature by Belgium’s Leonardo van Dijl opens with the stirrings of a newly emerging scandal. Julie, a highly promising 15-year-old player at a tennis academy, nervously faces changes in her training program after her longtime coach is put on leave. The reason: allegations about his relationship with a former player who has recently committed suicide.
Despite mounting pressure on Julie to share her own experience with her mentor, the taciturn teen directs her focus where she’s always been conditioned to: her game. Yet, whether Julie acknowledges it or not, the unfolding crisis gradually compels her to emerge from the isolation that’s been imposed on her.
While so many sports-themed dramas give little attention to actual matters of athletics, Van Dijl’s film emphasizes the discipline and physicality of its protagonist. An elite player herself, Tessa Van den Broeck gives an utterly compelling performance. Indeed, such is the feature’s authenticity as a representation of the experience of young players, tennis superstar Naomi Osaka was moved to serve as an executive producer. (source: www.tiff.net)