Belgium has selected Lukas Dhont’s First World War drama “Coward” to represent the country in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. The film is written and directed by Dhont, with a screenplay credited to Angelo Tijssens, and is set during the war as it follows Pierre, a soldier newly arrived at the front.
The outlets report that “Coward” also brings recent festival recognition into the submission. Hollywood Reporter and Variety both note the film’s Cannes success, where it wins best acting honors for Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne. Deadline similarly highlights the selection and the film’s premise, though it focuses more directly on Belgium’s choice and the production credits.
Across the coverage, the key points align: Belgium’s selection is for the Oscars’ international feature film race, the film is Dhont’s latest, and its Cannes acting prizes are frequently cited as part of why it stands out. Variety adds that this is Dhont’s third Belgian submission for the Oscars, following his 2018 debut “Girl.”
