With Lucas Dhont and Małgorzata Szumowska, FilmFest Hamburg is presenting two formative voices of European cinema as “Filmmakers in Focus” this year. As different as their cinematic styles may be, they are united by a keen eye for the tension that exists between identity, social expectations and personal relationships. Both will be in Hamburg to present their latest films and a selection of earlier works, offering insights into their creative process during discussions about their work. 

Lukas Dhont

The Belgian director Lukas Dhont studied audiovisual arts and originally wanted to become a dancer. His fascination with choreography and movement is inscribed in his films to this day. With great sensitivity, he explores the body, intimacy and vulnerability, and explores how societal notions of gender and masculinity shape personal relationships.

In his latest film Coward, Dhont takes us from the trenches of the First World War to a drag show improvised by soldiers. The young Pierre meets the flamboyant Francis at the front; together with their comrades, they create a brief respite from war and violence. The leading actors Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne were awarded Best Actors in Cannes and are expected to attend the German premiere in Hamburg.

Close (2022) tells the story of the intense friendship between 13-year-olds Léo and Rémi, whose natural closeness comes under pressure due to the reactions of those around them. With great sensitivity, Dhont explores themes of friendship, loss and the expectations placed on male identity. The drama was awarded the Grand Jury Prize in Cannes in 2022.

Dhont has already made an international name for himself with his feature film debut Girl in 2018. 15-year-old Lara struggles to pursue a career in ballet and to physically become the woman she has always felt herself to be. Dhont portrays her search for identity as a borderline experience that is as physical as it is emotional; the film has won several awards in Cannes, including the Caméra d’Or in the Un Certain Regard section.

The talk with Lukas Dhont will take place on September 30 at 6 pm at Metropolis Kino. Admission is free.  

Małgorzata Szumowska

Born in Krakow, Małgorzata Szumowska studied at the Łódź Film School and, since her feature film debut Happy Man (2000), has been one of Poland’s most internationally successful directors. In her films, she continually explores themes of the body, identity and social conventions, combining psychological insight with black humour and the grotesque.

With The Idiot(s), Szumowska and her long-standing artistic partner Michał Englert will open the 34th edition of FilmFest Hamburg. In their adaptation of the biography »The Gambler Wife«, they delight in deconstructing the myth of the male genius: While Fyodor Dostoyevsky gambles away his money at a German spa and struggles with his writing, his wife Anna holds their life together and drives forward the work on “The Idiot”. Aimee Lou Wood, Vicky Krieps and Christian Friedel are expected to attend the European premiere and festival opening on 24 September, alongside Szumowska and Englert.

In Mug (2018), Jacek goes from being an outsider to a celebrated national hero following a serious accident at work and Poland’s first face transplant. Against the backdrop of a gigantic statue of Jesus, Szumowska creates a bitter satire on bigotry, consumerism and a sensation-hungry public. The film won the Silver Bear – Grand Jury Prize at the 2018 Berlinale.

Body (2015) combines black comedy with a story of grief and loss: a coroner, his anorexic daughter and a psychologist who believes she is communicating with the dead each seek, in very different ways, to come to terms with death. Szumowska won the Silver Bear for Best Director for the film in 2015.

The talk with Małgorzata Szumowska in cooperation with FRAMING, the new film criticism platform featuring a newsletter and podcast, will take place on September 25 at 6 pm at Metropolis Kino. Admission is free.  

About Filmmaker in Focus

Launched in 2019, the Filmmaker in Focus format is dedicated to two distinctive voices of international cinema each year, juxtaposing their latest films with selected earlier works and in-depth discussions. Previous guests include Céline Sciamma and Lav Diaz (2019), Kelly Reichardt and Pablo Larraín (2020), Andrea Arnold and Sean Baker (2021), Ruth Mader and Santiago Mitre (2022), Alice Rohrwacher and Bertrand Bonello (2023), Pia Marais and Joshua Oppenheimer (2024), and Julia Ducournau and Kleber Mendonça Filho (2025).