Lieven Debrauwer
After 5 years as a free lancer. In 1996, he founded a limited company in Belgium called GATEWAY FILM for the production of his short film LEONIE, which was supported by the Flemish community. Lieven convinced legendary Belgian actress Dora van der Groen to star in his first professional short film. American audiences may have seen Dora van der Groen as the mother in ANTONIA'S LINE, Academy Award winner for best foreign language film.
Lieven was so impressed by her professionalism and her personality that he decided to have another project ready as soon as LEONIE was finished. He thought it would be a great idea to bring two Belgian legendary actresses together on the big screen for the very first time; Ann Petersen and Dora van der Groen. That's when the idea for PAULINE & PAULETTE started (1996).
LEONIE won the prize for the Best Belgian film at Flanders International Film Festival 1996 and was selected for the official selection (in competition) at the 50th anniversary of the Cannes International Film Festival in 1997. There he won the Prix du Jury (Jury-president was French actress Isabelle Adjani). The film also won the Best Short Film award at the Newport Beach International Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Soon after that, Lieven finished TESTAMENT. It was a very personal film about his grandmother Emma, who wrote 6 letters (for each of her children) before she died. The film was not intended for the public, but started as an intimate souvenir only for family-members. When a stranger, who never knew Lieven's grandmother, saw the film and was very moved, Lieven decided to send it to festivals. TESTAMENT had its official première at the Flanders International Film Festival in 1997.
Then came DICHTEN, WAT IS DICHTEN DAN?, a short film on the works of Flemish priest and poet GUIDO GEZELLE, who died 100 years ago. This film presents several characters, played by renowed Flemish actors, who read, talk about or simply reminesce about Guido Gezelle's work.
Lieven took a brief stint at teaching film when his former film schoolteacher retired. That would only last a year because he then began to work on his first feature length film PAULINE & PAULETTE.
Lieven Debrauwer Facts
Occupation | Director |
Birthday | April 15, 1969 (54) |
Sign | Aries |
Birthplace | Roeselare, Belgium |
Selected Filmography
Pauline & Paulette | ||
Pauline Y Paulette : Pauline Et Paulette | ||
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