04/12/2015 - The new feature by Felix van Groeningen (The Misfortunates, The Broken Circle Breakdown) will be presented as a world premiere at Sundance

Stef Aerts, Tom Vermeir and Boris Van Severen in Belgica

Belgica [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Artemio Benki, Sylvie Leray
interview: Felix Van Groeningen
film profile] recounts the shambolic journey of two brothers as they try to re-establish ties by teaming up to manage a bar with live entertainment, where sex, drugs and rock’n’roll all collide. Stef Aerts (Oxygen [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Cub [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) and Tom Vermeir play the lead roles, flanked by Charlotte Vandermeersch, Hélène Devos, Boris Van Severen, Sam Louwyck and Dominique Van Malder. The original score is by the Dewaele brothers, known above all for their group Soulwax as well as for their duo 2ManyDJs. 

After previously having attended Cannes, Berlin and the Oscars, Felix van Groeningen will now be heading to the Sundance Film Festival. Belgica will be presented in competition in the feature-length World Cinema section, which sets out to show the latest productions by budding directors (read the article). In the past, this section has hosted such films as An Education [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Bloody Sunday [+see also:
trailer
film profile], 28 Days Later, Good Bye, Lenin! [+see also:
trailer
interview: Wolfgang Becker
film profile] and Run Lola Run. This is the fifth feature by van Groeningen, following Steve + Sky, With Friends Like These, The Misfortunates [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Felix van Groeningen
film profile] and The Broken Circle Breakdown [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Felix van Groeningen
interview: Felix Van Groeningen
interview: Felix Van Groeningen
film profile], which was nominated for an Oscar in 2014 and won the César Award for Best Foreign Film. Incidentally, at present he is already at work in the United States, where he is preparing the adaptation of Beautiful Boy for New Regency and Brad Pitt’s production house, Plan B.

Interestingly, another Flemish film will be presented at Sundance, The Land of the Enlightened [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], the feature debut by Pieter-Jan De Pue, a work teetering between reality and fiction that tells the story of Afghan children who have a chance to escape from their tough day-to-day life through their dreams and aspirations. The Land of the Enlightened was produced by Savage Film, and is being sold by Films Boutique.

Dirk Impens and Menuet assumed production duties on Belgica (with co-production by French outfit Pyramide Productions and Dutch company Topkapi Films), while its international sales are being handled by The Match Factory. KFD will distribute the movie in Belgian theatres on 2 March.

(Translated from French)