On Saturday, November 15th, the acclaimed European cinematographers Luc and Jean Pierre Dardenne were honored with the Golden Alexander Award at the Olympion Theater. Luc Dardenne was present to receive the award for both of them.

‘The Dardenne brothers’ work reaches deep into the human soul and underlines the reasons why cinema is so important to us’, noted TIFF Director Despina Mouzaki. ‘We would like to thank the two filmmakers for placing a mirror in front of our eyes. A mirror, which reflects not only ourselves, but also society and history. In their films, the Dardenne brothers do not take the role of the Messiah. They only express their personal ethical code’.

Luc Dardenne concluded by saying that the Golden Alexander Award is very important for him and his brother. ‘I am very happy to be in Thessaloniki, a city with a great cultural history and tradition, that still remains a crossroads for different cultures’. He also dedicated the award to their actors and collaborators.

The ceremony was followed by the screening of the short film ‘Dans l’oscurité /Inside the dark’ and ‘Le silence de Lorna / Lorna’s silence’, the Dardenne Brothers’ latest film which has won the best script award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.