TRAILERS

US Trailer for Dardennes' Immigrants in Belgium Drama 'Tori & Lokita'

by Alex Billington
March 6, 2023
Source: YouTube

"This is best for us and for you." Sideshow & Janus Films have unveiled another new US trailer for the indie drama from Belgium titled Tori and Lokita, the latest film from acclaimed Belgian filmmaking brothers Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne (aka Dardenne Brothers). This premiered at last year's 2022 Cannes Film Festival to mixed & negative reviews, with only a few saying good things. Set in Belgium today, a young boy and an adolescent girl who have traveled alone from Africa pit their invincible friendship against the cruel conditions of their exile. They work for a drug dealer who also moonlights as an Italian chef, and things get bad when Lokita tries to earn more money working in the depths of a grow warehouse. The film stars Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu as Tori and Lokita, with Alban Ukaj, Tijmen Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. It's finally opening in the US this March, but only in NY to start. This is a powerful trailer, I just don't know how many people will be interested in watching the film.

Here's the official US trailer (+ poster) for the Dardenne Brothers' Tori and Lokita, from YouTube:

You can rewatch the main UK trailer for the Dardennes' Tori and Lokita right here for the other tease.

The outstanding new film from the Dardenne Brothers is an absolutely stunning piece of work. Following a young boy (Tori) and a teenage girl (Lokita) who have left their home countries of Cameroon and Benin to make a new life in Belgium, we follow their journey as they navigate a range of difficult experiences. Whether it be finding jobs on the black market or working to send money back to their families, their friendship provides an unbreakable bond that helps them survive. Hoping to get their papers to remain in the country, they soon find that there are an array of forces stacked against them. They must fight for their friendship and their lives as their world begins to crumble. Clinging to the hope of a better life, their struggle is a gripping testament to the power of the human spirit and to the courage of their relationship.

Tori and Lokita is both written and directed by award-winning Belgian filmmaking brothers Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, directors of acclaimed films The Kid With a Bike, Lorna's Silence, Darkness, L'Enfant, The Son, Rosetta, The Promise, Two Days, One Night, The Unknown Girl, and Young Ahmed previously. It's produced by Delphine Tomson, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, and Denis Freyd. This initially premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival last year, and opened in the UK last fall. Janus Films will debut Tori and Lokita in select US theaters (NY only) starting March 24th, 2023. For info, visit the official site.

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