Why ‘Close’ Director Lukas Dhont Cast Newcomers Eden Dambrine and Gustav De Waele in His Oscar-Nominated Drama
variety.comMarc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor “Close” director Lukas Dhont’s discovery of one of his film’s stars, Eden Dambrine, is straight out of a book of Hollywood legends.
Dhont approached Dambrine on a train in their native Belgium and asked if he’d like to audition for his movie. “I was a bit worried,” Dambrine, 16, recalls. “I asked my friends to search on Google to see if it was really Lukas Dhont who was talking to me.
It was so I felt a bit more safe.” Fast forward to 2023, and “Close” is up for best international feature at the Oscars. The A24 film is a drama about 13-year-old best friends Leo, played by Eden, and Rémi (Gustav De Waele).
Tragedy occurs when Leo begins to distance himself from Rémi after they become the target of school bullies who believe the boys are a couple.
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