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Tori and Lokita film image, co-directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

Tori and Lokita

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Canadian Premiere

Lokita is trying to satisfy the authorities that yes, she tracked down her eight-year-old younger brother Tori in a West African orphanage and recognized him—despite not having seen him since he was a baby—and her anxiety is palpable. She’s not a convincing witness. And indeed, Tori is not a blood relation; the pair met up on their grueling odyssey across Europe. But their bond runs deeper than mere opportunism. In a hostile and dangerous environment, they offer one another unstinting love and support. Billeted temporarily in a state-run centre, they work nights side-by-side in an Italian restaurant, and then run “errands” (drugs) for the chef.

The Dardenne brothers work with such consistency at the highest level (Two Days, One Night; The Kid with a Bike; L’enfant), there is a temptation to take their films for granted. That would be a mistake. When so much of cinema is dominated by escapist fantasies of power and strength, the Dardennes have grounded their stories in social realism and empathy for the vulnerable and the weak. Their latest ratchets up the tension and pummels the heart.

 

Media Partner

Directors

Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne

Cast

Pablo Schils, Joely Mbundu, Alban Ukaj, Tijmen Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, Marc Zinga

Credits
Country of Origin

Belgium

Year

2022

Language

In French with English subtitles

Links
18+
88 min
Award Winners Drama Human Rights & Social Justice

Book Tickets

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Credits

Producer

Jean-Pierre et Luc Dardenne, Delphine Tomson, Denis Freyd

Screenwriter

Jean-Pierre et Luc Dardenne

Cinematography

Benoit Dervaux

Editor

Marie-Hélène Dozo

Production Design

Igor Gabriel