Cinema
Brussels by Night
Marc Didden · 1983
Synopsis
Brussels, 1983. Max, in his forties and deeply depressed, arrives in the city and wanders there aimlessly, mostly at night, behaving unpredictably with those he meets. He finds a former work colleague, then meets Alice, a waitress in a bar who dreams of being an actress, and Abdel, a Moroccan. Bonds form among these four, who go off together on an outing.
Context
The film takes its title from a song by Raymond van het Groenewoud, who composed its music, and the screenplay was written with Dominique Deruddere. François Beukelaers plays Max, Ingrid De Vos Alice and Amid Chakir Abdel. Its grey, heavy atmosphere and its stream-of-consciousness construction stood out against the more conventional films that the country had produced until then. It was shown at San Sebastián in 1983, in the new directors section.
Who it is for
A feature film of about ninety minutes, in Dutch and French, set to rock music.
Prizes and reception
André Cavens Prize for best Belgian film in 1983, its author's first feature film.
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