Van Dormael made his feature-length debut in 1991 with '' Toto le héros '' ( '' Toto the hero '' ) , a tale about a man who believes his life was " stolen " from him when he was switched at birth , told in a complex mosaic of flashbacks and dream sequences , sometimes with almost a stream of consciousness effect . '' Toto le héros '' was ten years in the making as Van Dormael rewrote the script at least eight times . In 1985 , two Belgian producers read a version of the script , and over the next five years they raised about $ 3.5 million , a huge amount for a Belgian production , all in public money from Belgium , the European Community and state television in France and Germany . Van Dormael premiered '' Toto le héros '' at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival , where it won the Camera d'Or . The film was released to the public later that year . Reviewing the film , '' The New York Times '' called him " a bright new talent to celebrate " . It won five Joseph Plateau Awards , the César Award for Best Foreign Film , four European Film Awards , the André Cavens Award , and received a BAFTA nomination . Pierre Van Dormael 's composed the soundtrack for the film , and since their first collaboration in 1980 , he has composed the music to all his brother 's films . '' Toto le héros '' propelled Van Dormael into the international spotlight as both a writer and director
1991 Cannes Film Festival
1991 Cannes Film Festival
Jaco Van Dormael