Omen (2023 film)

{{Infobox film

| name = Omen

| image = Omen (2023 film) poster.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Baloji

| screenplay = {{Plainlist|

Baloji
Thomas van Zuylen}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Benoit Roland

}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| cinematography = Joachim Philippe

| editing = {{Plainlist|

Bertrand Conard
Bruno Tracq }}

| music = Liesa Van der Aa

| production_companies = {{Plainlist|

Anonymous Films
Big World Cinema
New Amsterdam Film Company
Red Sea Film Festival Foundation
Versus Production
Serendipity Films
Tosala Films
Wrong Men North

}}

| distributor = {{Plainlist|

Imagine Film Distribution
Pan Distribution (Pan-Européenne)}}

| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2023|05|23|Cannes|2023|11|15|Belgium}}

| runtime = 90 minutes

| country = {{Plainlist|

Belgium
DR Congo
Netherlands
France
South Africa
Germany

}}

| language = {{Plainlist|

French}}

| budget =

| gross = $29,696{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3059777537/weekend/ |title=Omen (2023) |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=26 December 2024}}

}}

Omen ({{langx|fr|Augure}}) is a 2023 drama film written and directed by Belgian-Congolese director Baloji. Starring Marc Zinga, Lucie Debay and Eliane Umuhire,{{Cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/film/441368/ |title= Omen |last= Baloji |date=19 October 2023|access-date=19 October 2023 |website= Cineuropa |language=en}} it premiered at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section on 23 May 2023, where it won the New Voice Prize.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/cannes-film-festival-2023-palme-dor-prizes-awards-1235627110/ |title=Cannes Awards: 'Anatomy of a Fall' Takes Palme d'Or, 'The Zone of Interest' and 'The Pot au Feu' Among Winners|website=Variety|first=Peter|last=Debruge|date=27 May 2023|access-date=19 October 2023}}

A co-production between Belgium, DR Congo, the Netherlands, France, Germany and South Africa, it was selected as the Belgian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/omen-movie-belgium-2024-oscars-international-feature-1235590847/|title=Oscars: Belgium Picks 'Omen' as International Feature Submission|first=Scott|last=Roxborough|date=September 14, 2023|website=Hollywood Reporter}}

In 2023/24 movie director Baloji held the exhibition Baloji Augurism in the MOMU fashion museum in Antwerp, Belgium inspired by the traditional African costumes that he had designed for his film along with Elke Hoste.{{Cite web |last=Wolf |first=Ellen De |date=2023-09-14 |title=Shooting {{!}} Baloji en mots et en photos, pour les tendances Homme de l'automne |url=https://weekend.levif.be/lifestyle/mode/shooting-baloji-en-mots-et-en-photos-pour-les-tendances-homme-de-lautomne/ |access-date=2023-10-18 |website=Weekend |language=fr-BE}}

Premise

Congolese man Koffi was disowned by his mother in his youth for being a so-called "zabolo", Swahili for evil sorcerer. Now he returns to Congo from Europe to visit his family, along with his white pregnant girlfriend. The visit does not go well as the ancient rituals and persistent superstitions of the local tribes continue to haunt Koffi.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-30 |title="Augure" by Baloji Tshiani Wins the New Voices Award at Cannes |url=https://www.acp-ue-culture.eu/en/blog/augure-by-baloji-tshiani-wins-the-new-voices-award-at-cannes/ |website=ACP-EU Culture}}

Cast

Marc Zinga: Koffi
Lucie Debay: Alice, wife of Koffi
Eliane Umuhire: Tshala
Yves-Marina Gnahoua: Mama Mujila
Marcel Otete Kabeya as Paco
Denis Mpunga as Malage
Bongeziwe Mabandla as Ezra
Guetty Lembe as Bella Bello
Linda Ikwa as Masekini
Dylan Mata as Maky
Romain Barthez as Abel / Dr. Phileasfog
Mordecai Kamangu as Simba
Olive Mfumu Ntonto as Maya

Production

The head director and screenwriter is the Belgian-Congolese Baloji, also known as the music artist of Starflam, among others. The company Wrong Men produced the film. The production budget was 1 million euros. The film received financial support from the VRT, the RTBF, the Centre du cinéma de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, screen.brussels, the Dutch Audiovisual Fund and the Federal Tax Service, among others. Filming lasted 23 days and took place at 18 different locations. Augure was released in Belgian theaters on November 15, 2023, and is distributed internationally under the name Omen.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-09-14 |title="Augure" selected as Belgian Oscar entry |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2023/09/14/_augure_-selected-as-belgian-oscar-entry/ |access-date=2023-10-18 |website=vrtnws.be |language=en}}

Release

Omen had its premiere at 2023 Cannes Film Festival in 'Un Certain Regard' on 23 May 2023. It was invited to Horizons section of 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it was screened on 30 June 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kviff.com/en/programme/film/63/41036-omen |title= 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival: Horizons Omen |date= 30 June 2023|access-date=19 October 2023 |website= Karlovy Vary International Film Festival |language=en}} It was screened at the 2023 Festival du nouveau cinéma in International Panorama on 8 October,{{Cite web|url=https://nouveaucinema.ca/en/2023/international-panorama |title= International Panorama: Omen|date=2 October 2023|access-date=19 October 2023 |website= Festival du nouveau cinéma|language=en}} then at 2023 BFI London Film Festival in 'Strand' section under 'Dare' theme on 12 October.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/08/london-film-festival-bfi-the-book-of-clarence-1235531461/|title=BFI London Film Festival Full Lineup: 'The Book Of Clarence' World Premiere; Scorsese, Miyazaki, Lanthimos & Fincher Among Headline Galas|website=Deadline|first=Zac|last=Ntim|date=31 August 2023|access-date=19 October 2023}}

Omen was released in Belgium cinemas on 15 November 2023 by Imagine Film.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wbimages.be/en/news/augure-selectionne-a-sitges0/ |title= Omen awarded at Sitges! |date=16 October 2023|access-date=19 October 2023 |website= WB Images|language=en}}

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes website, the film has an approval rating of 83% based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The critics' consensus reads: "Visually striking and hauntingly surreal, Omen makes up in mesmerizing imagery and ambition whatever it lacks in narrative legibility."{{cite Rotten Tomatoes |title= Omen (2023, Drama) |id= omen_2023 |type=m |access-date=January 2, 2024}}

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film a score of four out of five stars, writing that the film explores and deconstructs the concept of a culture clash: "culture, heritage, nationality and identity are all shapeshifting concepts here. Perhaps Omen doesn't completely hang together but it is bold, risky, exciting film-making."{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/apr/24/omen-augure-review-secrets-and-sorcery-in-congolese-homecoming-baloji|title=Omen (Augure) review – Baloji offers secrets and sorcery in Congolese homecoming|last=Bradshaw|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Bradshaw|date=24 April 2024|website=The Guardian|access-date=6 May 2024}} Rue Morgue{{'}}s Michelle Martin praised the film's performances and visuals, and called it, "[a] stunning exploration of Congolese cultural beliefs posits that things that we deem 'occult' exist on the same plane as that which we view as 'scientific,' and the result is captivating."{{cite web|url=https://rue-morgue.com/cuff-24-review-omen/|title=CUFF '24 Review: Genre-Blending "Omen" Conjures a Magical Reality|last=Martin|first=Michelle|date=1 May 2024|website=Rue Morgue|access-date=6 May 2024}}

Peyton Robinson of RogerEbert.com gave the film three out of four stars, calling it "a visually enthralling piece of magical realism proposing ideas on pariahs, culture, and individuality in a world with constantly changing rules. But in devoting so much work to the aesthetic, it falls behind in making sense of its phantasmagoric storylines."{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/omen-film-review-2024|title=Omen movie review & film summary (2024)|last=Robinson|first=Peyton|date=26 April 2024|website=RogerEbert.com|access-date=6 May 2024}} Beatrice Loayza of The New York Times characterized the film as ambitious, highlighting its "vivid symbolism" and, "In its best moments, a quiet element of absurdity [that] grounds the spectacle", but lamenting that "the film's frenetic world-building eventually becomes numbing, in part because the uneven human dramas—each one offers a vague message about marginalization—lose momentum in all the commotion."{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/11/movies/omen-review.html|title='Omen' Review: Life in a Different Space-Time Continuum|last=Loayza|first=Beatrice|date=11 April 2024|website=The New York Times|access-date=6 May 2024}}

Awards

Cannes Film Festival 2023: "New voice" film prize, side competition Uncertain regard
Filmfest München: winner of the CineRebels competition
Durban International Film Festival (South Africa): best African feature film
Festival du film francophone d'Angoulême: Bilaji, best director
56th Sitges Film Festival: Best Direction: Baloji Tshiani.{{cite web|url=https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/en/noticies/56th-edition-award-winners|title=56th Edition Award Winners|website=Sitges Film Festival|access-date=15 October 2023}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" ! scope="col" \| Award ! scope="col" \| Date of ceremony ! scope="col" \| Category ! scope="col" \| Recipient(s) ! scope="col" \| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| {{Ref heading}}
rowspan="13" scope="row" \| Magritte Awards \| rowspan="13" \| 9 March 2024 \| Best Supporting Actress{{efn\|Shared with Sandrine Blancke for Love According to Dalva.}} \| Yves-Marina Gnahoua \| {{won}} \| rowspan="5" align="center" \| {{Cite web \|url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/les-magritte-du-cinema-dalva-remporte-sept-magritte-dont-le-meilleur-film-decouvrez-le-palmares-complet-11340677 \|title=Les Magritte du Cinéma 2024 : "Dalva" remporte sept Magritte dont le Meilleur film, découvrez le palmarès complet \|last=Saint-Amand \|first=François \|date=8 March 2024 \|website=RTBF \|language=fr \|access-date=10 March 2024}}
Best Cinematography \| Joachim Philippe \| {{won}}
Best Production Design \| Eve Martin \| {{won}}
Best Costume Design \| Elke Hoste and Baloji \| {{won}}
Best Original Score \| Baloji \| {{won}}
Best Film \| Omen \| {{nom}} \| rowspan="8" align="center" \| {{Cite web \|title=Nominations aux Magritte : un record pour le long-métrage 'Augure' de Baloji \|url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/nominations-aux-magritte-un-record-pour-le-long-metrage-augure-de-baloji-11327004 \|access-date=23 February 2024 \|website=RTBF \|language=fr}}
Best Director \| Baloji \| {{nom}}
Best Actor \| Marc Zinga \| {{nom}}
Best Supporting Actress \| Lucie Debay \| {{nom}}
Best Screenplay \| Baloji \| {{nom}}
Best First Feature Film \| Omen \| {{nom}}
Best Sound \| Jan Deca, Erik Griekspoor, Danny van Spreuwel and Vincent Nouaille \| {{nom}}
Best Editing \| Bruno Tracq and Bertrand Conard \| {{nom}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col" | Award

! scope="col" | Date of ceremony

! scope="col" | Category

! scope="col" | Recipient(s)

! scope="col" | Result

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Ref heading}}

rowspan="13" scope="row" | Magritte Awards

| rowspan="13" | 9 March 2024

| Best Supporting Actress{{efn|Shared with Sandrine Blancke for Love According to Dalva.}}

| Yves-Marina Gnahoua

| {{won}}

| rowspan="5" align="center" | {{Cite web |url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/les-magritte-du-cinema-dalva-remporte-sept-magritte-dont-le-meilleur-film-decouvrez-le-palmares-complet-11340677 |title=Les Magritte du Cinéma 2024 : "Dalva" remporte sept Magritte dont le Meilleur film, découvrez le palmarès complet |last=Saint-Amand |first=François |date=8 March 2024 |website=RTBF |language=fr |access-date=10 March 2024}}

Best Cinematography

| Joachim Philippe

| {{won}}

Best Production Design

| Eve Martin

| {{won}}

Best Costume Design

| Elke Hoste and Baloji

| {{won}}

Best Original Score

| Baloji

| {{won}}

Best Film

| Omen

| {{nom}}

| rowspan="8" align="center" | {{Cite web |title=Nominations aux Magritte : un record pour le long-métrage 'Augure' de Baloji |url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/nominations-aux-magritte-un-record-pour-le-long-metrage-augure-de-baloji-11327004 |access-date=23 February 2024 |website=RTBF |language=fr}}

Best Director

| Baloji

| {{nom}}

Best Actor

| Marc Zinga

| {{nom}}

Best Supporting Actress

| Lucie Debay

| {{nom}}

Best Screenplay

| Baloji

| {{nom}}