. By the time the Academy recognized Agnès with an honorary Oscar in 2017, the two had become close enough that Debruge was invited to celebrate the night with the filmmaker and her family.10 Directors to Watch list, which has recently included Alice Diop, Ladj Ly and Julia Ducournau.
“I’m deeply honored by this distinction,” Debruge said. “For the last quarter century, my calling has been to champion the talent of actors and auteurs, and my great fortune has been to work forAfter thanking those in attendance — a group that included Debruge’s colleagues, friends and 97-year-old grandmother — he concluded, “I’d like to blow a kiss to my spiritual grandmother, Agnès Varda, for all the ways that she has inspired me.
Debruge, who was previously awarded a Palme d’Or in the Order of the Crown by the country of Belgium, has been acritic and editor since 2005. He spent two years in Paris as the publication’s chief international film critic. He has written more than 2,000 film reviews, as well as an essay for the “Agnès Varda: Director’s Inspiration” exhibition catalog, to be published this fall.