The Dardenne brothers — Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne — are arguably the most impactful export from Belgium in the field of arts and culture. The filmmaking duo began their career by making documentary movies in the late-70s. They were born in Seraing (close to Liege) in a French-speaking region of Belgium and began to achieve international recognition in the mid-90s with the release of their film La Promesse.

The Dardenne brothers would then go on to release Rosetta, which won the Palme d’Or at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival and boosted their recognition even further. Each film they have released has been met with acclaim, and their style has had a significant impact on cinema. Here are their best movies, ranked.

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7 Je pense à vous (I’m Thinking of You)

     Rézo Films

Je pense à vous (or I’m Thinking of You) was released in 1992 and takes place in a Belgian town on the Meuse river that has been hit hard by the economic struggles of the country, and factories are closing quickly. The film focuses on Fabrice (Robin Renucci), who is feeling disconnected from life after losing his job, and his wife Céline, who fights to keep him from spiraling. The film sets the tone for many that would follow in their filmography, focusing on individuals who struggle against society and economic burden, while fighting to keep their dignity.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

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6 L’Enfant (The Child)

     Sony Pictures Classics

L’Enfant (or The Child) was released in 2015 and focuses on Bruno (Jérémie Renier) and Sonia (Déborah Francois) who are surviving on little means when they suddenly have a baby boy. Bruno does not attach to the child like Sonia, and is motivated by scheming for money. He sells the child for money and quickly realizes he has done the wrong thing. The film is masterful at capturing the anxiety of the situation through clever filming techniques. According to The Guardian, L’Enfant would win the Dardenne brothers a second Palme d’Or at Cannes 2005.

5 Le Gamin au vélo (The Kid with the Bike)

     Les Films du Fleuve

Le Gamin au vélo (or The Kid with the Bike) tells the story of Cyril (Thomas Doret), who has been abandoned by his father. He is then raised by a state facility, and we see how his circumstance has led him to the point of being on the edge of rebelling. He escapes from the facility and sets out to reunite with his father, however, this reunion is not what he hoped, and he is taken in by a local hairdresser who attempts to steer him in the right direction. The performance of Thomas Doret is incredible and makes the film a real standout.

4 Le Silence de Lorna (Lorna’s Silence)

     Cinéart

Le Silence de Lorna (or Lorna’s Silence) was released in 2008 and deals with the topic of immigration in Belgium. The film follows Lorna (Arta Dobroshi) and Sokol (Alban Ukaj), two Albanian immigrants living in Belgium who want to run their own snack cart, however, they need citizenship, and attempt to engage in a sham marriage to obtain it. The Dardenne brothers portray this subject with tenderness, depicting the lengths people will go to in order to better their circumstances, shedding light on a timely social issue.

3 Rosetta

Rosetta was released in 1999 and represents a pivotal moment in the Dardenne brothers’ careers. The film follows Rosetta, a young girl who lives in a trailer park and is determined to make a better life for herself. The film is beautiful and uses non-professional actors, with the whole film being shot on-location. It received a lot of critical praise and was responsible for propelling the Brothers’ careers to a higher point than ever before upon release.

2 La Promesse (The Promise)

La Promesse (or The Promise) was released in 1996. Like Rosetta, this film also represented a huge change in the Dardenne brothers’ career. The story focuses on Igor and his father Roger, who rent apartments to illegal immigrants. They allow shady activities to go on in the property, and when an inspector arrives, they make a deal with him to conceal their activities. The film arrived early in their international career and exemplifies all the techniques they master in their filmmaking.

1 Deux jours, une nuit (Two Days, One Night)

     Les Film du Fleuve

Deux jours, une nuit (or Two Days, One Night) was released in 2014 and was a huge success internationally. The film stars Marion Cotillard as Sandra, a working-class woman who has struggled with depression and her job is now on the line as a result. When she learns that she’s about to be laid off, she has to campaign to her co-workers to keep her, however, doing so would result in them losing their bonuses. It’s a moving performance that resulted in an Oscar nomination for Cotillard, and it’s a must-see in the Dardenne film catalog. Speaking to The Atlantic, Cotillard said, “Our society, which is a sick society, created this story.”