born february belgian film director screenwriter playwright complex critically acclaimed films especially noted respectful sympathetic portrayal people mental physical disabilities spent childhood travelling europe going study filmmaking brussels wrote directed short film received honorary foreign film award feature debut immediate hit won cannes film festival years later prizes cannes leading actors jointly awarded prize best actor feature film received critical acclaim accolades winning including best director early life born belgium february belgian couple raised germany age seven family returned belgium birth nearly cord received insufficient supply oxygen feared end mentally impaired trauma accounts recurring themes films explore worlds people mental physical disabilities delighted working children pursued career circus clown producer children entertainment theatre developing interest filmmaking enrolled brussels later paris children entertainer childhood innocence strong themes work career early work 1980s produced number short films aroused considerable critical interest student wrote directed children story short film praised critics received honorary foreign film award presented following year directed documentary short film paralympic games later directed award winning short films les boot famous short period won grand prix international competition mainstream breakthrough feature length debut hero tale man believes life stolen switched birth told complex mosaic flashbacks dream sequences stream consciousness effect years making rewrote script times belgian producers read version script years raised million huge belgian production public money belgium state television france germany premiered cannes film festival won camera film released public later year critical acclaim financial success won joseph plateau awards award best foreign film award received bafta nomination soundtrack film regarded collaboration composed music film brother propelled international spotlight writer director wake success participated critically acclaimed project work actually anthology short works average seconds contributed international film directors original motion picture camera film kiss second film director featuring actor time work writing major work wanted linear film explored world eyes man syndrome film eighth day chance meeting friendship played harry unhappy divorced businessman portrayed interest people mental physical disabilities stems interest talent life loving life lack sought explore concept worlds harry existing simultaneously separately premiered cannes film festival nominated win best actor award festival given time festival history actors shared award film acclaimed film critics received nominated award grossed worldwide budget million making highest grossing film point participated project massacre films million land mines collection short films works anti land campaign year member jury 51st cannes film festival received award 13th joseph plateau awards began seeking film attempt lasted years director able english language feature debut project differed belgian productions filmed english instead belgium main languages director explained story came english story set long distances time frames strands plot kid choose living mother canada father england incredible english speaking actors wanted work production budget million ranking expensive belgian film date budget approved casting based prominence director strength script film utilizes narrative worlds interpretation tell life story mortal earth portrayed world premiere venice international film festival september won award golden outstanding technical contribution received high praise film critics named best films year received seven nominations winning best editing won award 23rd european film awards original release cult film noted philosophy soundtrack personal characters cinematography august began filming fourth feature film comedy god alive lives brussels daughter premiered cannes film festival critical acclaim themes films strong common themes distinctive use naive examine world innocent perspective young thomas mentally handicapped protagonist child characters views colorful imaginative somewhat removed reality slight elements surreal imagery illustrate active films typically end death portrayed tragedy happy moving deceased looks happily world heaven earth ends birth similarly handled passing character new world pattern continued deaths open film unique twist death end film conveys sense happiness makes prominent use nostalgic standards music featuring mexico recurring themes recurring musical theme films contain surreal elements films moments like dancing flowers flying room makes extensive use surreal imagery film prominently featured characters syndrome portrayed characters emphasizing characteristics filmography feature films short films les sortie boot kiss
Jaco Van Dormael