THE UNKNOWN GIRL by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, tells the story of Jenny, a young GP, who investigates the death of an anonymous young girl.
The Dardenne brothers’ THE UNKNOWN GIRL tells the story of Jenny, a young GP, who investigates the death of an anonymous young girl.
One evening, after closing her practice for the day, Jenny, a young doctor, hears the doorbell ring but doesn’t answer it. The next day, the police inform her that an unidentified young woman has been found dead close by.
Talking about how movie came about, Luc Dardenne said that the idea of the investigation was integral from the start. At some point, the brothers even thought that the leading character could be a police officer.
But we didn’t want to make a genre movie. We developed a double investigation. Jenny obsessively tries to find out the name of the girl who has been found dead and about whom nobody knows anything. She also wants to understand the reasons for this death, for which she feels partly responsible, explained Jean-Pierre Dardenne.
Commenting on Jenny, the main protagonist, Luc Dardenne said: “Jenny would like to make up for it. There’s nothing morbid or narcissistic about her guilt. She feels guilty for not letting the girl in but she’s never complacent about it, she never wallows in self-pity and she doesn’t point an accusing finger at anyone. She doesn’t lecture the people she meets, let alone the audience. Besides, as the story moves on, you can tell there’s a real cheerfulness to her personality.”
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have directed numerous documentaries. In 1975, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne founded the production company Dérives, which has to date produced more than 80 documentaries, including their own. In 1994, they established the production company Les Films du Fleuve.
Featured Picture : @Cristine Plenus , Curtesy of Cannes Film Festival