Waterford Film For All presents Julie Keeps Quiet (2024)

Waterford Film For All presents Julie Keeps Quiet from director Leonardo Van Dijl

Fifteen-year-old Julie is a star student at a tennis academy, and her life revolves around the game. But the suicide of a fellow player initiates an investigation by management and the sudden suspension of Julie’s coach Jérémy.

Forced to adjust her training regime, Julie also comes under pressure to share her experiences of Jérémy. But she remains stoically silent.

Belgian director Leonardo van Dijl has crafted a gripping first feature that confidently tackles its difficult subject matter in a sensitive yet absorbing manner. And in the performance of young tennis player and first time actress Tessa Van den Broeck, van Dijl has found an actor who brilliantly captures both Julie’s repressed pain and single-minded ambitions.
A powerful piece of cinema.

Festivals
Cannes Film Festival 2024
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2024
Toronto International Film Festival 2024
BFI London Film Festival 2024
Cork International Film Festival 2024
International Film Festival Rotterdam 2025

Awards
Winner – SACD Prize, Critics’ Week, Cannes Film Festival 2024

Reviews
“Julie Keeps Quiet is a tense, absorbing movie of silences and absences, of difficult terrain skirted around, of subjects avoided. … This is a gripping study in dysfunction and repression.” ★★★★ – The Guardian, Cannes Film Festival 2024

“Leonardo Van Dijl’s Julie Keeps Quiet is a reserved but powerful drama … Its natural pacing and atmosphere are all part of the deft touch that van Dijl uses for this story, which is remarkable for a debut project.” ★★★★ – Loud and Clear Reviews

Belgium’s submission to the 2025 Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

access CINEMA’s VIEWING SESSIONS 2024 rating of 69%.