Europa Europa Film Fest 2025 Review - Julie Keeps Quiet
Images courtesy of Common State.
When it comes to collaboration in the sporting world and pushing athletes to reach their full potential, there is sometimes an abuse of power between mentor and mentee, with the victims often being young people. While Challengers looked at the consensual sexual dynamic between player and coach, another 2024 film about tennis, Belgium’s Julie Keeps Quiet, tells a far more serious and realistic story.
Julie (Tessa Van den Broek) is a young star player at an elite tennis academy. She is rigorous, determined, and has caught the attention of the Belgian Tennis Federation as an up and coming talent in the professional world. She does her best to balance both tennis and school, although tennis often gets in the way. Julie, along with the rest of the academy, is shocked to learn that Aline (Tamara Tricot), another young star pupil from a few years back, has taken her own life. This is followed by the mysterious and unexplained suspension of Julie’s coach, Jeremy (Laurent Caron), who also used to coach Aline. Julie and Jeremy are very close, have spent a lot of unsupervised time together, and even talk on the phone outside of training. When an investigation is launched into Jeremy, the academy encourages its players to speak up and reveal anything they might know. However, as the title tells us, Julie decides to keep quiet.
There has never been a more appropriate name for a film, as Julie Keeps Quiet is a quiet experience in itself. Quite literally, there is only one piece of music that plays a few times throughout the film. The storytelling takes a minimal and slow burn approach, and much of the tension and intrigue comes from silence and what is left unsaid. The film never explicitly reveals what Jeremy has been accused of, or what happened between him Aline, although sexual assault is alluded to. This decision allows the viewer to simmer in the unease and uncertainty that the characters are experiencing, and gives them the job of trying to put the pieces together with what little information is given. While there’s beauty and effectiveness in ambiguity - evident here in creating mood and atmosphere - so much is still left on the table by the film’s conclusion, which won’t necessarily satisfy everyone. Van den Broek, a first-time actress and skilled tennis player herself, gives a committed and silently powerful performance. However, because of the lack of answers and specificity, we don’t really get to know Julie enough as a character. Why is she keeping quiet? What is her inner turmoil? What exactly happened between her and Jeremy? It is obvious that she wants to be the best and won’t let anything stand in her way, but some further insight into her mindset would have had a more emotional and memorable impact.
What stands out the most is the ironically loud message of Julie Keeps Quiet, in that there needs to be more boundaries and awareness around protecting young people in sport from abuse, especially at the hands of those who are supposed to support them. That rings loud and clear.
Julie Keeps Quiet is a solid exercise in ‘less is more’, but simultaneously proves that may not always be the case. Nevertheless, it will create important discussions timely to the sports industry.
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Julie Keeps Quiet is screening as part of the 2025 Europa Europa Film Festival, which runs from February 12th to March 12th. For tickets and more info, click here.