We Believe You is a Belgian drama written & directed by Arnaud Dufeys & Charlotte Devillers where it had its premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film stars Myriem Akheddiou, Laurent Capelluto, Natali Broods, Ulysse Goffin, and Adèle Pinckaers. Akheddiou stars as 40-year-old mother, Alice, who finds herself fighting to protect her children in a justice system that scrutinizes her instead of their father.

I knew almost nothing going into this, which has been one of my favorite things about the Berlinale entries. I try to go into movies knowing nothing about it, but with trailers nowadays, it’s hard to get around that sometimes. With these entries, I am able to go in blind. Seeing that this had a short runtime, I fit it into my busy schedule. I am happy to report that I did, because this has to be one of the most profound movie I have ever seen.

With such a short runtime, it’s remarkable what the film accomplishes. The themes and subject material are heavy to stomach at times. Even though I don’t feel like I could watch this again anytime soon, it is a necessary watch that more need to see. Between its play-like structure and its material, I was able to easily connect with it. It’s rather hard for a movie like this to reel you in on an emotional level with a short runtime. Its play-like structure gives every actor plenty of time to shine with the dialogue they are given, but this approach also gives the talent time to showcase their emotions as they hear other talk. I couldn’t get over how powerful the direction was especially for a feature debut. The score also comes in at the right times that kept my attention.

The common through line with all the Berlinale film entries I have seen so far have a powerful female character at the forefront. Myriem Akheddiou delivers a realistic, genuine, heartbreaking performance that will stay engrained into your brain long after you watch it. Her emotions, along with her dialogue, convey the importance of telling this type of story. The ending may leave some viewers wanting more. To me, I see the ending as a sense of hope. If we can believe in those who come out with the truth, especially from a younger generation, it will work out in the end. I loved the message this film ends on. It’s perfect.

Overall, I have a good feeling that We Believe You may go down as one of the most important films of the year. I genuinely hope this gets a large release, because I believe this is a story that will speak volumes to others. Its direction helps bring this world to real life while the script offers a lot of detail. Its subject material can be hard to get through at times, but it’s a film I believe everyone should seek out when it becomes available.

VERDICT: 4.5/5 (Amazing)