A father, a son, and films for children

15/02/2012

Fils Unique (lit. “Only Son”), Miel Van Hoogenbemt’s third film, is out in Belgian cinemas today. Flemish-born Van Hoogenbemt has the extraordinary ability to work just as well in French as he does in Flemish. While Fils Unique and his first film Miss Montigny [+see also:
trailer
film profile] are in French, his last film Man zoukt vrouw (lit. “Man Seeks Woman”) was in Flemish. He has also directed several episodes of the Flemish television series Aspe.

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Fils Unique tells of the difficult love between a father and son. Forced to live with his “unworthy” father after his mother is hospitalised, Vincent, 40, and a father himself, will despite himself have to try to understand why he has always had a conflicting relationship with his father. Dotted at intervals with flashbacks, poetic escapades, and muscular confrontations, this long-overdue meeting between the two characters is the starting point of the story. As father and son, Van Hoogenbemt directs a remarkably cantankerous Patrick Chesnais (photo) and Laurent Capelluto (The Long Falling [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) who confirms yet again that Belgian cinema will have to count of him in the coming years. Coproduced with Samsa Film and Liaison cinématographique, the film is produced by Entre Chien et Loup. Its sister distribution company, Dreamtouch, has released the film to five cinemas.

Another partly Belgian release, Il était une fois une fois, a slap-stick comedy about a band of semi-losers pretending to be the Belgian royal family by Christian Merret Palmain, is also now in cinemas thanks to Belga. Finally, no less than five children’s films are also now showing in time for half-term. Four European animations are on offer besides Muppets: Zarafa [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Rémi Bezançon, in up to 26 cinemas, Sprookjesboom by Hans Walther (Netherlands), and two Danish films, one for a Flemish audience (Orla de Kikkerslikker) and the other for a French-speaking audience (L’Ours Montagne [+see also:
trailer
film profile]).