JULIE KEEPS QUIET focuses on the star player, Julie, at 
an elite youth tennis academy. Julie’s life revolves around the 
game she loves. She trains hard, pausing only for class or physical therapy before returning to the gym fixated on making it into the Belgian Tennis Federation. When her coach Jérémy is 
suddenly suspended following the suicide of one of his female protégées, all the players at the academy are encouraged to speak up about their experiences with him. Julie, however, decides to keep quiet. Despite strong suspicions from those around her that Julie’s relationship with Jérémy was inappropriate at best, her persistent silence begins to speak volumes. Confused and full of anxiety, the pressure she once 
channeled solely towards training shifts inward, affecting her confidence, her focus, and her game. Executive produced by tennis champion Naomi Osaka, JULIE KEEPS QUIET is a “tense, taut, artfully hushed debut feature (Variety) 
by Belgian writer-director Leonardo van Dijl. Led by newcomer Tessa Van den Broeck whose performance embodies the different ways trauma is internalized, JULIE KEEPS QUIET respectfully and empathetically examines why some victims choose to remain silent. Director Leonardo Van Dijl’s joins us to talk about his exceptional and critically acclaimed drama artfully understated feature debut, which made a splash at last year’s Cannes in the Critics’ Week section,
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Belgium’s Official Entry for the 2025 Academy Awards® for Best Internationational Feature
About the filmmaker – Director and writer Leonardo van Dijl is a Belgian filmmaker renowned for his distinctive and thought-provoking storytelling. His acclaimed short film Stephanie (2020), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, delves into the intense pressures faced by a young gymnast. Van Dijl’s feature film Julie Keeps Quiet, which premiered at Critics’ Week in Cannes in 2024, further showcases his talent, exploring silence and resilience in the face of adversity. The film gained significant attention when tennis star Naomi Osaka, moved by its powerful message, joined as an executive producer to amplify its reach globally. Julie Keeps Quiet has received glowing reviews from major publications. The Guardian praised its emotional depth, Variety commended its nuanced character portrayal, and The Hollywood Reporter highlighted van Dijl’s meticulous attention to detail. Additionally, Letterboxd mentioned it as one of the top ten movies to watch at Cannes. He is currently writing a new feature, with the ambition to amplify voices and spark important conversations both on and off the court.
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”[A] tense, absorbing movie of silences and absences… a gripping study in dysfunction and repression.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
““Julie Keeps Quiet,” the feature directorial debut from Leonardo Van Dijl, is a taut, haunting character study whose patient rhythms effectively breeds inescapable tension.” – Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
“A tense, taut, artfully hushed debut feature by Belgian writer-director Leonardo van Dijl, Julie Keeps Quiet also knows the value of control — though its own calm is fraught with anxiety and anger… A standout of this year’s Critics’ Week.” – Guy Lodge, Variety
“The movie’s silence is so loaded with the anxiety, obstinance, inchoate anger and desire for anonymity of the traumatized teenage sportswoman that the constant thwack of her racquet hitting the ball cuts through the tension like violent shocks… This is an austerely effective work.” – David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter