Julie Keeps Quiet (in-person & online)

Tessa Van den Broeck, Ruth Becquart, Koen De Bouw

An abuse scandal ripples through an elite tennis academy in Leonardo van Dijl’s coolly riveting debut, co-produced by the Dardenne brothers and executive produced by playwright and director Florian Zeller and tennis champion Naomi Osaka.

When demanding head coach Jeremy (Laurent Caron) is accused of misconduct, all eyes turn to his latest star pupil and private trainee, the ferociously talented and hardworking Julie (Tessa Van den Broeck). Julie may or may not have something to report, but rather than cooperate with the authorities – who may or may not welcome her honesty – this tenacious young athlete stays silent, processing the dramas unfolding around her on her own terms.

Van Dijl’s sparing and impactful direction creates an atmosphere of quiet between scenes of intense training sessions and confrontations between Julie and those around her seeking information, giving us the space to read between the lines and draw our own conclusions. Entirely gripping, it features a really terrific performance from real-life tennis player and first-time actor Van den Broeck, who telegraphs Julie’s strength, fragility, stoicism and disquiet in her every move.