O Brilho do Mar

Strong film debut by Domien Huyghe in which Lena's processing of the loss of her father in a shipwreck is central. The role of 12 year old Lena is played incredibly well by Saar Rogiers. You empathize with her anger and search for the beast that may or may not have sunk the boat. Great Production; everything about this film is right : strong screenplay, modern soundtrack that accompanies the film but does not overwhelm it, excellent acting , fluent editing and exceptionally beautiful photography by Anton Mertens. The story builds up in crescendo and is not only about grief. There is a mystery and action that makes the movie, and the theme of the movie, more accessible for a younger audience. The movie is touching without being melodramatic. The beautiful poetic ending lives up to all expectations.

There wasn't a dry eye in the cinema. I haven't seen a movie like this before, where early grief and its many stages are shown in such a real and beautiful way, for anyone to understand and relate to. The stages of anger, confusion, bargaining, and even acceptance are things we will all feel at some point in life and it's so refreshing to see it addressed in a way that any age can understand and relate to it. The adventure the main character goes on and the friends she meets or discussions she has also bring a lot of lightness to what is initially a quite heavy story. I thought this movie was incredible, the acting was amazing, the lighting, the camera work, the visuals were stunning. A beautiful Belgian masterpiece!