From Bagdad to Kinshasa: Belgian films in Berlin
The Berlin selection once again highlights the eclecticism of Belgian audiovisual production. Recently presented at Sundance, Lee Tamahori’s The Devil’s Double [+see also:
trailer
film profile] is by far the Belgian project with the most unlikely background: it’s a film about 1980s Iraq, shot in Malta by a New Zealand-born director, starring a British actor and French actress, and produced by a Belgian company.
The Devil’s Double is adapted from the autobiography of Latif Yahia, a bodyguard hired as the double of Uday Hussein, the late dictator’s much-hated son. It is produced by Corsan, which specialises in international, English-language projects, with participation from Holland’s Corrino. The film has been selected in the Berlinale Panorama section.
On another continent, Riva plunges body and soul into the Kinshasa night scene. He’s hungry – for alcohol, money and beautiful mixed-race women. Djo Munga is fed up of hearing that you can’t make films in Congo. After his impressive debut medium-length film (Papy), he now brings us Viva Riva! [+see also:
trailer
film profile], an uninhibited thriller, a true ode to beautiful Kinshasa, its shady dealings and late-night heroes.
The project, whose success owes a lot to its fresh cast, is produced by Congo’s Suka!, Belgium’s MG Productions and France’s Formosa. After screening at the Toronto festival, the film will now be presented in the Berlinale Forum.
Also in the Forum is Pierre-Yves Vandeweerd’s documentary Territoire Perdu (“Lost Land”, Cobra Films), about the wall that blights the Western Sahara.
It’s back to Belgium in the Generation Kplus section with the new film by the Ringer brothers, directed by Olivier directing and produced by Yves, A Pas de Loup (“On the Sly”), a family film about families.
Finally, the Panorama section will screen Michael Roskam’s debut feature Bullhead [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bart Van Langendonck
interview: Michaël R. Roskam
film profile], an uncompromising journey into the heart of the Belgian hormone mafia. It is produced by Savage Films and Eyeworks, with collaboration from Artemis, and backing from the VAF, CCA and Bruxellimage. The first Flemish film selected in the Panorama in the last ten years, it will be released in Belgian theatres next week and is sold by Celluloid Dreams.
(Translated from French)
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
