99'2017Belgiumdirector: Thierry Michel, Pascal Colsoncinematography: Thierry Michel, Pascal Colsonediting: Idriss Gabelproduction: Les Films de la Passerelle
At a small school in the Belgian town of Cheratte, which is dominated by the structures of an abandoned mine, Brigitte, a teacher by vocation, is preparing a class of 11-year-olds for their exams to complete their primary education. The grandparents of Brigitte's pupils came here from Turkey to make a living and took on risky work as miners. When descending into the Hazard mine, they took with them rats that could smell leaking gas. And what sort of life awaits the protagonists of Michel and Colson's film? How will their traditional Muslim micro-community influence them? And how about Brigitte's school? “Children of Chance” is a beautifully asked film question about opportunities and forms of the integration of immigrant communities in Europe, the human dimension of which can truly be felt here. This is really a question about the future of the film's protagonists that is being asked on the threshold of their adolescence. With enchanting humor and mastery of narrative flow, acute observations and outstanding cinematography, Michel and Colson's film also has its share of dramatic moments: Brigitte does not shy away from having an honest conversation with the children about their feelings just after the terrorist attacks in Brussels.
Maciej Nowicki
