The film “L’enfant”, by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (Belgium-France 2005), has won the European Film Award, Templeton 2005. The award, sponsored by the US John Templeton Foundation and consisting of 10 thousand euros, is given by Interfilm (international inter-religious organisation for cinema) and by the Conference of the European Churches (Kek, a body composed of 125 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old-Catholic Churches, as well as 40 associations from all over Europe). The best film is selected by an international panel composed of people who have won the award in the past, and the “Film of the Month” is selected during the previous year by the Protestant Jury for Cinema in Germany or the Catholic Media and Reformed Media Service of Switzerland. “L’enfant” tells the story of Bruno, Sonia, and their baby Jimmy; a family that live by their wits and social subsidies. In a moment of desperation, Bruno sells his child to a network that deals with adoptions, with devastating consequences on his relationship with his wife and his own conscience. “His remorse, Sonia’s forgiveness, their reconciliation are some of the values that the jury wanted to highlight by making that choice”, reads today’s release from Kek. The prize will be awarded on February 12th during the international film festival in Berlin, at 4.30 pm, at Mass in the French church of Friedrichstadtkirche. “L’enfant” won the Golden Palm in Cannes in 2005 and was elected “Film of the Month” last November by the above-mentioned German Protestant jury.
