WE BELIEVE YOU (ON VOUS CROIT) Discovery

Tensions rise and family secrets unravel over the course of a crucial day in first-time directing duo Charlotte Devillers and Arnaud Dufeys’ astutely layered, gripping courtroom drama. Myriem Akheddiou, frequent collaborator with the Dardennes (THE KID WITH A BIKE, YOUNG AHMED), gives a powerhouse performance as Alice, a strained mother herding her two reluctant children — a distraught 10-year-old Etienne and agitated teenager Lila — to a family court custody hearing. Tightly framed in closeups confined to sterile waiting rooms and frigid glass-paneled halls, Alice’s rollercoaster of emotions takes us through her fight for the protection of her children while standing trial against accusations to her motherhood. Special Mention of the GWFF Best First Feature Award in the Berlinale Perspectives section, WE BELIEVE YOU makes a compelling case for the agency and voice of underaged victims in a flawed system. –Anna Li