Belgian filmmaker Frank Van Passel is set to unveil his latest feature, The Soundman, which will have its North American premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival (2-12 January – see the news), in the Modern Masters section, a strand dedicated to accomplished auteurs returning with ambitious new works.

Set in May 1940, as Europe trembles on the brink of war, the film follows two lives that intersect within Brussels’ legendary Flagey building, the beating heart of national radio. Elza, a young actress making her debut in the world of radio drama, meets Berre, a gifted soundman with an almost magical ear. She is captivated by the spell of storytelling; he finds refuge in the mysterious power of sound. Their encounter ignites a love that dares to exist beyond the rising shadow of their time.

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Elza is portrayed by Femke Vanhove, a fast-rising Flemish talent known for her leading role in Skiff [+leggi anche:
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Van Passel, who directs from his own script, describes the film as “a love story in an ungraspable world, where sorrow and joy walk hand in hand – and where, ultimately, warmth prevails”. His director’s statement frames The Soundman as a response to the present moment: a reflection on rising polarisation and the unsettling echoes of Europe in the 1930s. Drawing on archives from Belgium’s national radio, survivor testimonies and extensive research into pre-occupation deportations of Jewish refugees, he melds historical groundwork with emotional truth.

The Soundman marks Van Passel’s first feature in over a decade, following Madonna’s Pig. His debut, Manneken Pis, premiered in the Cannes Critics’ Week, winning multiple awards, while Villa des Roses also played a key role in garnering him international recognition. His television work with the more recent Moresnet has earned major accolades.

Shot by cinematographer Laurens De Geyter, the film was lensed across Brussels, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Madeira and several Belgian towns. The creative team also includes editor Karin Vaerenberg, who previously collaborated with Van Passel on his feature films, composer Wim De Wilde, sound editor Herman Pieëte, and production designers Florian Legters and Sanne Croonenberg.

Reflecting on the production, producers Bert Hamelinck and Helena Vlogaert, of Caviar, emphasised: “The Soundman brings to light a rarely acknowledged chapter of Belgian history. At the onset of the German invasion, the Belgian government arrested more than 15,000 people: enemy nationals, suspects, fascists, communists and eccentrics. Among them were thousands of innocent Jewish refugees who had sought safety within our borders, only to be swept into a tide of fear and uncertainty.”

The Soundman is being produced by Bert Hamelinck and Helena Vlogaert for Belgium’s Caviar/Lompvis, in co-production with Mark van Eeuwen and Paula van der Oest for Amsterdam-based Sunny Pictures, and Diana Elbaum and David Ragonig for Brussels-based Beluga Tree. The film received support from the VAF – Flemish Film Fund, Screen Flanders, CCA – Walloon Film Fund, VRT, the Belgian Tax Shelter, Kinepolis Film Distribution, the Netherlands Film Fund and the Netherlands Film Production Incentive. Its world sales are handled by Copenhagen-based international sales and aggregation house LevelK. The Belgian release is set for 17 December via Kinepolis Film Distribution, with a Dutch release to follow in early 2026 through Dutch FilmWorks.