Belgian actress Émilie Dequenne died this Sunday at the age of 43 from adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare form of cancer.
Dequenne came to international prominence at the age of 17 when she won the Best Actress Award at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in the Dardenne brothers' film “Rosetta”.
In 2002, the actress won the Best Actress Award at the Avanca Film Festival for her role in the film “Oui, mais...”, directed by French filmmaker Yves Lavandier. This recognition strengthened her connection to Portuguese cinema and to the festival, which this year celebrates its 29th edition between July 23 and 27.
Throughout her career, Émilie Dequenne has taken part in around 60 film and television productions, including Christophe Gans' “Le pacte des loups” (2001), Lucas Belvaux's “Chez Nous” (2017) and Jean-Daniel Verhaeghe's “Le Grand Meaulnes” (2006). She has been nominated five times for César awards, winning one in 2021. In 2012, she again won the Best Actress Award in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival for her role in Joachim Lafosse's “À perdre la raison”.
His last major role was in Lukas Dhont's “Close”, nominated for Best International Film at the 2023 Oscars.
His death represents a significant loss for European cinema, leaving a legacy of outstanding performances that will live on in the collective memory.
The Avanca Film Festival, which takes place again this year in July, remembers Émilie Dequenne, her enormous contribution to European cinema, particularly Belgian and French cinema, and pays tribute to her remarkable contribution to the seventh art.
