Animals is a 2021 psychological thriller film directed by Nabil Ben Yadir. It stars Soufiane Chilah and was written by Antoine Cuypers and Ben Yadir, who also produced alongside Benoit Roland. The film is based on the 2012 murder of gay man Ihsane Jarfi in Liège. The murder was denounced as a hate crime and became the first case of homophobic violence recognized by law in Belgium.[2]
| Animals | |
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_poster.jpg) Film poster | |
| Directed by | Nabil Ben Yadir |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | Soufiane Chilah |
| Cinematography | Frank van den Eeden |
| Music by | François Aubinet |
Production companies |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 91 minutes[1] |
| Countries | |
| Language | French |
It was screened at the Film Fest Ghent on 13 October 2021, where it competed for the Grand Prix.[3] At the 12th Magritte Awards, Animals received six nominations, including Best Film and Best Director for Ben Yadir.[4]
Cast
edit- Soufiane Chilah as Brahim
- Gianni Guettaf as Loïc
- Vincent Overath as Geoffroy
- Lionel Maisin as Christophe
- Serkan Sancak as Milos
Critical reception
editAnimals received polarized reviews from film critics, with praise towards Soufiane Chilah's performance and Frank van den Eeden's cinematography, but criticism towards its graphic portrayal of violence and crime.[5]
Accolades
edit| Award / Film Festival | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camerimage | Best Cinematography | Frank van den Eeden | Nominated |
| FIPRESCI Prize | Won | ||
| Film Fest Ghent[3] | Grand Prix | Nominated | |
| Explore Award | Runner-up | ||
| Magritte Awards[4] | Best Film | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Nabil Ben Yadir | Nominated | |
| Best Actor | Soufiane Chilah | Nominated | |
| Most Promising Actor | Gianni Guettaf | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay | Nabil Ben Yadir and Antoine Cuypers | Nominated | |
| Best Sound | François Aubinet | Won | |
| Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | Grand Prix | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h "Animals". Cineuropa. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ Ben Abil, Yadir (25 April 2022). "Animals or the Story of Ihsane Jarfi". Ket Brussels. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ^ a b Engelen, Aurore (25 October 2021). "Gaspar Noé wins the Grand Prix at the Ghent Film Festival". Cineuropa. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Magritte du cinéma : les nominations sont connues" (in French). 10 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ Formica, Vincent (15 February 2023). "Animals: la scène la plus insoutenable de l'année au service d'un film choc sur un terrible fait divers". AlloCiné (in French). Retrieved 22 February 2023.