A haunting character study featuring a subtly paced narrative and inescapable tension. Shortly before a tennis tournament, Julie’s world falls apart when her trainer Jérémy is suspended from her tennis academy following an internal investigation into a girl’s suicide. Although she struggles with the aftermath, she focusses more than ever on her sport, refusing to comment on the accusations and withdrawing more and more inside herself. Only the looks in her eyes reveal the pain behind the façade.

“By writing this story, I’ve come to understand that, in many ways, we
are all Julie. We all have silences within us – things we’ve never shared
or don’t know how to express. Julie allows us to explore this silence,
whether it’s a coping mechanism, a form of resistance, empowerment or
violence.” (Leonardo van Dijl)

Leonardo van Dijl, born in Kortrijk/Belgium in 1991, started his career as an editor for “Vice Magazine”. In 2014, he made his debut in film with the short GET RIPPED, which was awarded with the Grand Jury Award at Outfest LA. In 2015, he pursued a Master in audiovisual arts at the Luca School of Arts with the film UMPIRE, which was shown at numerous festivals. His short film, STEPHANIE, was selected for the Official Competition of Cannes, San Sebastian and TIFF. In 2024, his feature debut JULIE KEEPS QUIET premiered at the Cannes Critics’ Week.

Filmography (selection): 2014 GET RIPPED, 2015 UMPIRE, 2020 STEPHANIE (all short films), 2024 JULIE KEEPS QUIET

Awards: SACD Award and Gan Foundation Support for Distribution (Cannes International Film Festival, France 2024)