49e Film Fest Gent 2022

In a world that seems increasingly cursed, a solid dose of resilience ('veerkracht' in Dutch) is required to avoid burning out. 'Veerkracht' thus forms one of the themes of the festival, linked to a solidarity action for the OverKop house in Ghent. Because of its enormous popularity and quality, the 49th edition puts a spotlight on South Korean cinema, with a separate section in the film programme, a retrospective and a film music concert. The festival poster pictures Parasite composer Jung Jae-il. In the film competition Alice Diop's French courtroom drama Saint Omer wins the Grand Prix. In a year in which Belgian cinema reaches international success, the opening film Close by Lukas Dhont generates a lot of buzz. Closing film is Maria Schrader's investigative drama She Said, based on a true story. Once again, a large number of (inter)national filmmakers travels to Ghent. Among them: Céline Sciamma. She talks to Lukas Dhont after a screening of her Petite Maman.