Le Faux Soir (2026) - Roskam’s WWII Heist Film News

The San Sebastián International Film Festival will close its 2026 edition with the world premiere of “Le Faux Soir,” a historical drama from Belgian director Michaël R. Roskam that recounts a daring act of wartime satire widely considered the first media hack in history. The festival announced the selection on Thursday, positioning the film as a fitting capstone to a lineup that has increasingly embraced stories about journalism and resistance.

Set in November 1943, the film follows the Independent Front, a Belgian resistance network, as it plots to publish a counterfeit edition of Le Soir, the country’s most prominent newspaper - by then a propaganda mouthpiece for the Nazi occupiers. The operation, which involved infiltrating the paper’s distribution chain and printing thousands of copies of a parody issue filled with absurd headlines and mock advertisements, was a high-risk gambit. Discovery meant imprisonment or execution, yet the group pressed on, pulling off a stunt that mocked the Germans while secretly boosting civilian morale.

Roskam, best known for his Oscar-nominated debut “Bullhead” and the crime drama “The Drop,” has long been fascinated by this episode from his homeland’s wartime history. In a statement released with the announcement, he described the project as a passion that took over a decade to bring to the screen. “For years I carried this story with me,” Roskam said. “It’s a tale of ordinary people doing something extraordinary under the constant shadow of death. They weren’t soldiers; they were printers, editors and everyday citizens who used laughter as a weapon.” He added that the film’s title, which translates to “The Fake Evening,” captures both the literal counterfeit and the darker irony of a nation forced to consume lies.

The production reunites Roskam with a celebrated ensemble of French and Belgian actors. Arieh Worthalter leads the cast as Marc “Yvon” Aubrion, the resistance figure who spearheaded the operation. Mélanie Thierry, Karim Leklou, Mara Taquin, Bouli Lanners, Julien Frison, François Damiens and Ruth Becquart round out the principal roles, many of them portraying the collaborators and helpers who made the ruse possible. The film’s runtime is 133 minutes, and it has been classified under drama and history genres ahead of its December 2, 2026 theatrical release.

The choice of San Sebastián for the premiere holds particular resonance. The Spanish festival has a strong tradition of honoring political cinema, and its closing slot often goes to films that carry weight beyond their entertainment value. For Roskam, who attended the festival earlier in his career with his short films, the return feels like a full-circle moment. “San Sebastián has a special place in my heart,” he said in the release. “To present this story there, in a setting that values films about resistance and truth, is an honor I didn’t dare to dream of when we started writing.”

Historians note that the actual “Le Faux Soir” operation was meticulously planned. Resistance members, some working inside the newspaper’s printing plant, replaced one night’s run with their own edition, which was then distributed by street vendors before the occupiers realized what had happened. The spoof, which included a headline about Hitler’s “soft smile” greeting wounded soldiers and a mock column from a collaborationist writer, fooled many readers at first glance. By the time the Germans burned the remaining copies, the damage was done - both to their credibility and to the illusion that occupied Belgium was a placid, controlled society.

The film’s story naturally raises questions about media integrity, propaganda and the power of satire - themes that have found new urgency in the digital era. Roskam, however, has stressed that he views the project less as an allegory and more as a human drama. “I didn’t want to make a lecture or a thesis,” he said. “I wanted the audience to feel what it was like to be in that print room, wondering whether someone would knock on the door at any second. The stakes were life and death, and the humor made the danger sharper, not softer.”

“Le Faux Soir” marks Roskam’s return to period filmmaking after a series of contemporary crime and thriller projects. The director has said he was drawn to the story because of its precise, almost cinematic structure - a ticking clock, a small group, and an outcome that would either be remembered as a brilliant triumph or a deadly failure. The film’s final act, he hinted, will show the aftermath of the publication, when the resistance had to vanish before the inevitable crackdown.

San Sebastián organizers confirmed that the film will screen at the festival’s closing ceremony, with Roskam and key cast members expected to attend. The festival runs from mid-September, and the announcement adds to a growing buzz around the fall awards season, where the film could emerge as a contender for international feature recognition. For now, the world will get its first look at a story that proves truth and laughter can be every bit as dangerous to an autocracy as guns and sabotage.

Source: Hollywood Reporter