Our Children (French: À perdre la raison) is a 2012 Belgian-French psychological drama film directed by Joachim Lafosse. It is based on a real-life incident involving a woman (Geneviève Lhermitte) who killed her five children. The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival under the title Loving Without Reason,[4][5] where Émilie Dequenne won the Un Certain Regard Award for Best Actress.[6]
Our Children | |
---|---|
Directed by | Joachim Lafosse |
Written by | Joachim Lafosse |
Produced by | Jacques-Henri Bronckart Olivier Bronckart |
Starring | Émilie Dequenne Niels Arestrup Tahar Rahim |
Cinematography | Jean-François Hensgens |
Edited by | Sophie Vercruysse |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes[1] |
Countries | Belgium France |
Languages | French Arabic |
Budget | $7.2 million[2] |
Box office | $700,000[3] |
Critical response was generally strong and the film was nominated for seven Magritte Awards, winning four, including Best Film and Best Director for Lafosse.[7] The film was selected as the Belgian entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards, but it did not make the final shortlist.[8]
The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "In one of her strongest leading roles to date, Dequenne (The Girl on the Train, Rosetta) does a remarkable job depicting Murielle’s wavering psychological states as she heads for oblivion, and an extended sequence-shot where she drives home while singing a Julien Clerc song is particularly unforgettable."[9]
Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Belgian Film Critics Association[10] | André Cavens Award for Best Film | Won | |
2012 Cannes Film Festival | Un Certain Regard Award – Best Actress | Émilie Dequenne | Won |
25th European Film Awards[11] | Best Actress | Émilie Dequenne | Nominated |
3rd Magritte Awards[7] | Best Film | Won | |
Best Director | Joachim Lafosse | Won | |
Best Screenplay | Joachim Lafosse, Matthieu Reynaert | Nominated | |
Best Actress | Émilie Dequenne | Won | |
Best Supporting Actress | Stéphane Bissot | Nominated | |
Best Sound | Ingrid Simon, Thomas Gauder | Nominated | |
Best Editing | Sophie Vercruysse | Won | |
Satellite Awards 2012[12] | Best Actress – Motion Picture | Émilie Dequenne | Nominated |
Best Foreign Language Film | Nominated | ||
Saint Petersburg International Film Festival 2012 | Best Actress | Émilie Dequenne | Won |