Focus on the Benelux

This year, the ZOOM section heads west – specifically to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Three neighbouring countries, three distinct film cultures, and one common denominator: an original perspective on the world. Expect three feature films and a showcase of short films from Belgium.

The Luxembourgish documentary, The Invitation, by Fabrizio Maltese begins where another film might have ended – after the sudden death of one of its authors. The director sets out to complete their joint work, journeying from Senegal through Mauritania to the peaks of sand dunes. It is a solitary, quiet journey that explores the boundaries of body and soul – the result is a minimalist yet deeply personal documentary meditation.

A Belgian-Dutch co-production, When It Melts, is the directorial debut of actress Veerle Baetens based on the bestselling novel by Belgian author Lize Spit. Told in two parallel timelines, it follows Eva, who is forced to confront the demons of her past after many years. What really happened back then? This intimate drama starring non-professional actress Rosa Marchant also drew attention at the Sundance Film Festival.

From the Netherlands and Belgium comes Peter Hoogendoorn’s gently melancholic comedy, Three Days of Fish, in which a father and son, estranged for years, attempt to spend three days together. The conversation often stalls, but humour still finds its way through. Premiering last year in the main competition at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the film earned both lead actors, Ton Kas and Guido Pollemans, the Best Actor Award.

The Belgian shorts programme is as diverse as the country itself. Maruška, or the Story of a Real Fake Raspberry in Winter by Max Bédrune and Juliette Léonard blends fairytale elements with today’s phenomena, from ASMR videos to virtual reality. The Bodies We Live In by Mady Berrenger and Lucie Onrubia-Muro examines the boundary between private and public spaces through the lens of women’s roller derby. Luchina Paparella’s graduation film, Among the Beasts, raises the question of who the real “monsters” are – humans or animals? In Florent Thys’s The Other, eighteen-year-old Mathias encounters his future self to confront his own identity and anxieties. Finally, Raphaël Venayre’s Family Party reveals how even the most joyful moments can mark the irreversible end of a childhood.

Travel with us through the Benelux – at least on the big screen! You just have to focus.