Real Faces is Real Time @SXSW 2025

One of the things that FERNTV cherishes the most about SXSW is finding those solid gems of films that take you by surprise. Real Faces by director Leni Huyghe happens to be one of those films that stands up on its own. The film focuses on Julia, played by Leonie Buysse, who finds herself in the melting pot of Brussels. She is an ambitious casting director who lands a freelance job with an experienced advertising director who is played by Yoann Blanc who has a “my way or the high way” attitude when it comes to work.

To lay the foundation in her new life in Brussels, she meets Elliot, who is played by Gorges Ocloo, with whom she becomes roomies. George is a microbiologist who is working towards his PhD while working on lichens. Despite opposing careers both Elliot and Julia begin to get a lot closer.

Things start to turn around for Julia once she gets to work on a perfume ad. Not knowing whether or not it is going in the right or wrong direction, Julia makes well thought out decisions on her work. This does funnel down to her personal life as well, in which she seems like she is playing a guessing game throughout the film but wants to win the lottery at the same time.

She must cast the right people for the perfume ad, so she finds people who are uniquely attractive like a Bennetton ad but of these times. Julia has to get her feet wet and, at the same time, have her footing on the ground if that is at all possible.

The real gem of this film is none other than Leonie Buysse, who displays so much emotion when playing Julia. The audience becomes empathetic with her character as most of us know what it is exactly like when you are trying to make a name for yourself in a hustle and bustle type of city like in Brussels. Especially when you have bosses like Yoann Blanc who expect your all and fiends from the youthful energy that someone like Julia has within her arsenal. The audience is also curious as to what Julia is going to do next, especially when it comes to awkward situations amongst her cast in the auditions. The way she reacts to uncomfortable situations that she does not see coming is golden.

You have to lay down credit for director Leni Huyghe casting Leonie Buysse, who fit the bill of Leni’s vision of Julia. Real Faces is a coming-of-age film that Leni Huyghe explores in today’s world of much wokeness and declining patriarchy. Julia must journey into this world and must be stealthy about not going down these slippery slopes that could ruin her career.

Brussels is a great city that provides the backdrop to Julia’s journey, where there are plenty of options to take your career to the next level. On the flip side, there are options to take your life down the spiral, and when Leni Huyghe plays Julia, you know that she is mindful of these little traps. FERNTV says that film is all about self-reflection, and we all need this from time to time. Click below to watch our interview with both director Lina Huyghe and Leoni Buysse of Real Faces during SXSW 2025.