REAL FACES

Bustling Brussels is the city where a genuine, unlikely friendship unfolds between Julia, a casting director for advertising, and Eliott, a quiet microbiologist. Julia (29), having relocated after a breakup, tries to maintain a confident façade as she builds a new life. But when she meets Eliott (32), their unexpected connection challenges both to let go of expectations and embrace the messy, unfiltered realities of life.

Director Leni Huyghe’s debut feature is a quiet, visually striking exploration of identity, self-worth, and human connection. As Julia holds casting calls asking actors to repeat the line “my life is a party,” the hollowness of the commercial world she inhabits comes into stark contrast with the sincerity of the friendship developing in her real life.

Shot with natural intimacy by cinematographer Grimm Vandekerckhove, Real Faces captures modern Brussels in all its multicultural texture, with dialogue in Dutch, French, and English. Performances by Leonie Buysse and Yoann Blanc glow with authenticity, and Huyghe brings warmth and restraint to a film that radiates truth.