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Daily Read: Cinema

Roskam Turns WWII Newspaper Prank Into Heist Film

Belgian director Michaël R. Roskam has turned a 1943 media heist into a period comedy‑thriller, calling it “Ocean’s Eleven, but with a newspaper.” The film, titled Le Faux Soir, dramatizes how Belgian journalists and printers hijacked the Nazi‑controlled newspaper Le Soir and replaced it with a satirical counterfeit that mocked the occupiers, a first‑ever media hack. Roskam, known for Bullhead and The Drop, worked with co‑writer Bernard Falaise to adapt the story, insisting on realistic, humor‑driven characters rather than overt satire. He cast prominent French‑speaking actors such as François Damiens, Arieh Worthalter, Bouli Lanners, and Mélanie Thierry to embody the witty resistance fighters. The director emphasized the importance of period authenticity, researching 1940s printing techniques and consulting surviving witnesses. Le Faux Soir premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and is being sold worldwide by Goodfellas. The film offers a fresh take on resistance, blending historical intrigue with comedic timing, and showcases how humor can serve as a form of defiance against tyranny.

· The Hollywood Reporter

The essential points

  1. 01Le Faux Soir dramatizes a 1943 Belgian newspaper heist that mocked Nazi occupiers.
  2. 02Director Michaël R. Roskam pairs realistic drama with sharp, period‑accurate humor.
  3. 03Co‑writer Bernard Falaise’s script was refined through collaboration with Roskam for authenticity.
  4. 04The cast features French‑speaking stars François Damiens, Arieh Worthalter, Bouli Lanners, and Mélanie Thierry.
The full brief

Belgian director Michaël R. Roskam has turned a 1943 media heist into a period comedy‑thriller, calling it “Ocean’s Eleven, but with a newspaper.” The film, titled Le Faux Soir, dramatizes how Belgian journalists and printers hijacked the Nazi‑controlled newspaper Le Soir and replaced it with a satirical counterfeit that mocked the occupiers, a first‑ever media hack.

Roskam, known for Bullhead and The Drop, worked with co‑writer Bernard Falaise to adapt the story, insisting on realistic, humor‑driven characters rather than overt satire. He cast prominent French‑speaking actors such as François Damiens, Arieh Worthalter, Bouli Lanners, and Mélanie Thierry to embody the witty resistance fighters. The director emphasized the importance of period authenticity, researching 1940s printing techniques and consulting surviving witnesses.

Le Faux Soir premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and is being sold worldwide by Goodfellas. The film offers a fresh take on resistance, blending historical intrigue with comedic timing, and showcases how humor can serve as a form of defiance against tyranny.