Belgica
Directors: Felix van Groeningen // Writers: Arne Sierens, Felix van Groeningen
Belgian director Felix van Groeningen’s last film, The Broken Circle Breakdown, which played at Berlin, received notable critical acclaim and was shortlisted for the best foreign language film at the Academy Awards. He reteams with Aren Sierens, the scribe of his sophomore feature With Friends Like These (2007) for his latest, Belgica. As usual, Groeningen mines his own family’s experiences for inspiration in this tale which follows the story of two brothers who, even though they have absolutely nothing in common, open a bar together that quickly becomes a regular hangout for nighthawks. Despite this success, the two brothers must soon face up to the difficulties inherent in running a family business. Their brotherhood turns into rivalry, through no fault of their own.
Cast: Titus De Voogdt, Johan Heldenbergh, Sam Louwyck
Producers: Menuet’s Dirk Impens, Pyramide Productions, Topkapi Films
U.S. Distributor: Rights available.
Release Date: With Groeningen’s last film significantly bolstering his international reputation, we’re assuming there will be a lot more interest in snagging festival play for this title. Un Certain Regard seems like a possibility at Cannes since his 2009 film The Misfortunates played the fest’s Directors’ Fortnight section and received a Special Mention.
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