Just Friends

a feature film by Marc-Henri Wajnberg

Casting CHARLES BERLING and JOSSE DE PAUW

96 MIN – 35 mm
BETA DIGITAL / Dolby SR

French, Dutch (available with English or Spanish subtitles)

feature film – humor – jazz – friendship

SYNOPSIS

Antwerp, 1959. Jack, a talented young saxophonist works on the docks to earn a living. But his thoughts are elsewhere. He longs to go to New York, mecca of jazz, to meet his idols : the great African-American musicians. To make his dream come true however, he needs money. Jack and his band, the « Bop Friends » play in depressing tea rooms or with Mickey Bunner’s big band. Jack has a sculptor friend, André, whose avant-garde experiments earn him the wrath of his neighbours and the contempt of the academy. André meets Lucy and determines to win her heart. Lucy, however, is crazy about Jack. Jack and Lucy fall in love, but Jack remains obsessed with just one idea : to reach New York, its music scene, its legendary musicians. Where will he find the cash he so desperately needs ?

13 AWARDS

The Belgian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards – USA – 1994
BEST FIRST FILM
Festival of Montevideo – Uruguay – 1994
GRAND PRIX
Festival of Val d’Aoste – Italy – 1994
FEMINA AWARD
City of Brussels – Belgium – 1994
JOSEPH PLATEAU AWARD
Best Belgian Film – Belgium – 1994
JOSEPH PLATEAU AWARD
Best Actor (Josse De Pauw) – Belgium – 1994
JOSEPH PLATEAU AWARD
Best Director – Belgium – 1994
GRAN PREMIO
Incontri International del Cinema di Sorrento – Italy – 1994
UCC AWARD
Belgium’s critics award for best film – Belgium – 1993
CAVENS AWARD
Belgium – 1993
YOUTH AWARD
Best Belgian Film – Belgium – 1993
PHILIP MORRIS MOVIE CLUB AWARD
Best screenplay – Belgium – 1993
BEST ACTOR (Josse De Pauw)
Festival de la Baule – France – 1993
BEST FILM
Festival de la Baule – France – 1993

CD soundtrack of the month elected by Jazz in Time (12/93)

LINK

Jazz in Belgium

CREDITS

Director : Marc-Henri Wajnberg
Screenwriters : Pierre Sterckx, Alexandre Wajnberg, Marc-Henri Wajnberg
With : Josse De Pauw, Ann-Gisel Glass, Charles Berling, Sylvie Milhaud
Photography : Rémon Fromont
Editing : Ludo Troch
Sound : Jean-Bernard Thomasson
Original music : Michel Herr, Archie Shepp

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION

Wajnbrosse Productions
Tape available : Contact us

PRODUCTION

Wajnbrosse Productions
Panic Productions
Praxino Pictures
RTBF (Belgian TV)
NOS (The Netherlands)
Canal + 

With the support of :
Communauté Française de Belgique, Vlaamse Gemeenschap van België, Centre National de la Cinématographie, Stichting Productiefonds voor Nederlandse Films, Stichting Co-productiefonds, Binnenlandse Omroep ( The Netherlands), BRTN (Belgian TV), Image Video, Loterie Nationale, Eurimages