🎬 Julian

Julian (2025) is a deeply moving, beautifully intimate, and politically resonant romantic social drama that serves as a modern crown jewel for the QueerFilmHub.com database. Adapted directly from the autobiographical book by Belgian artist Fleur Pierets, this cinematic piece traces the sweeping, high-voltage love story of Fleur (Nina Meurisse) and Julian (Laurence Roothooft). Following a chance encounter, the two women fall into a dizzying, consumption-level romance. When the question of marriage arises, Fleur constructs an incredibly ambitious, beautiful, and radical artistic manifest: they will travel the globe together to get legally married in every single one of the 22 countries where same-sex marriage is constitutionally permitted

Fueled by an intoxicating mix of pure romance and a rising socio-political urgency, the couple takes a leap of faith into their global performance art project. However, after celebrating only four marriages, their cross-border pilgrimage of love is brought to an abrupt, devastating, and heartbreakingly painful halt. Produced by Lukas and Michiel Dhont (the powerhouse team behind Close and Girl), director Cato Kusters transforms what could have been a standard melodrama into a luminous, urgent exploration of human rights, female devotion, and the sheer grief of letting go. It stands as a poetic statement that framing marriage equality as a simple, secured legal document forgets the raw, breathing human souls who have to cross borders just to prove their devotion. 🏳️‍🌈

💡 Did You Know? 🧠
A Heartbreaking Real-Life Basis: The screenplay is an authentic adaptation of the real life of Belgian author/activist Fleur Pierets. In 2017, Pierets and her wife Julian P. Boom launched this exact global performance art piece (titled "22"), but their journey was tragically cut short when Julian was diagnosed with terminal brain tumors just two months after their fourth wedding.

The "Dhont" Artistic Connection: The film's incredibly gentle, visually striking, and emotionally devastating texture is no coincidence; it was produced by acclaimed Oscar-nominated director Lukas Dhont (Close, Girl), alongside his brother Michiel Dhont

The Screenplay Pedigree: Co-writer Angelo Tijssens lent his spectacular, highly empathetic writing style to the script. Tijssens is globally celebrated within the alternative film community for writing Lukas Dhont's highly revered queer masterpieces Girl and Close.

A Festival Sweep: Following its high-profile premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, Julian went on a major award-winning circuit, taking home the First Feature Competition Winner at the Leiden International Film Festival and a Special Jury Mention at Montréal’s image+nation LGBTQ2S+ Festival.