Film La Maître de musique in a restored version

Tribute to José Van Dam

After Gérard Corbiau dedicated a portrait to José Van Dam in 1982, a deep friendship developed between the two men, giving rise to the project for his first feature film: Le Maître de musique, which caused an immediate sensation upon its release. Never before had a Belgian feature film received such a warm reception, both from audiences and critics. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 61st Oscar Awards.

The film tells the story of opera singer Joachim Dallayrac, who suddenly announces his retirement in order to pass on his musical legacy. He plans to take two successors under his wing: a talented young man (Philippe Volter) and Sophie (Anne Roussel), whom he sees as the opera singer of the future. He wants to bring these two voices together, so that they can replace his own.

During this special evening, at which the film will be screened in a restored version in the presence of Gérard Corbiau, a tribute will be paid to José Van Dam, who passed away on 17 February 2026.