This week has seen filming wrap on Rouler des mécaniques, the debut fiction feature by young Belgian director Mehdi Pierret, who turned heads in 2021 with his graduate film (via INSAS), Le Mobilier, which was an absurd comedy about an eventful private view of a modern art exhibition and which subsequently did the rounds of numerous international festivals. In 2024, he directed the short film Adieu bureau, which was another huis clos, set in the business world this time round, about three colleagues determined to bring down the system.

Having previously worked together on Mobilier, Pierret is reuniting with young Belgian actor Arthur Marbaix for his first fiction feature. The film will see the actor, who trained at Mons Conservatory, stepping into his first major role.

The story focuses on 30-year-old Pétard who spends all of his time with his car, Nicoletta, which he loves more than anything else in the world. Unfortunately, the old scrap heap’s engine is threatening to give up the ghost at any moment. There doesn’t seem to be any hope of repairing the car, but a young female mechanic called Doris-Jane (alias DJ) offers to help Pétard. The two youngsters decide to save Nicoletta at all costs, and nothing and no-one will get in their way.

Rouler des mécaniques is an initiatory road movie, which is also a story about loss; an "affectionate" film, as the director describes it, about acceptance. Pétard develops an obsession with his car, which becomes far more than an object to him, ultimately filling an emotional void. Over the course of various encounters on the road, Pétard moves forwards, with highs and lows, frequent denial and occasional anger. His main companion on these adventures, besides the mysterious Nicoletta in her yellow outfit, is DJ, played by Mathilde Caillavet, who’s also enjoying her first major role. Their journey leads them into the path of various supporting actors, including Bouli Lanners (recently seen in A Real Job [+lee también:
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entrevista: Thomas Lilti
ficha de la película] and Smoke Signals [+lee también:
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ficha de la película]), Sophia Leboutte (Better Days), Jean-Benoît Ugeux (who won a Magritte for Racer and the Jailbird [+lee también:
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entrevista: Michael Roskam
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entrevista: Éléonore Saintagnan
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Having kicked off on 16 June, the film shoot unfolded on the road between Luxembourg and Wallonia.

Rouler des mécaniques is being produced by Vincent Canart and Olivier Dubois on behalf of Novak Prod, who recently co-produced Scars of a Putsch by Nathalie Borgers and The Empire [+lee también:
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entrevista: Bruno Dumont
ficha de la película] by Bruno Dumont. Co-produced in Luxembourg by Skill Lab, the film received production aid from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation Film Centre, as well as support from Film Fund Luxembourg and Tax Shelter. The movie is being co-produced by RTBF and Proximus.