Brosens and Woodworth embark on a majestic saga on the roads of Turkey
- Kebab Royal, the shoot for which has just got under way, leads the King of Belgium on a Balkan odyssey with surreal undertones
Kebab Royal [+see also:
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interview: Jessica Woodworth, Peter Br…
film profile], the new film by Jessica Woodworth and Peter Brosens (The Fifth Season [+see also:
film review
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interview: Jessica Woodworth
film profile], Altiplano [+see also:
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film profile], Khadak [+see also:
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interview: Jessica Woodworth
interview: Jessica Woodworth
film profile]), is an intriguing project, to say the least. While he is away on an economic mission in Istanbul, Nicolas II, the grumpy and solitary King of Belgium, learns of Flanders’ declaration of independence. At that same moment, a solar storm knocks out the communication networks and grounds all aeroplanes. And so begins the secret odyssey undertaken by the king and his ragtag learned assembly across the Balkans: a voyage full of misfortunes, revelations, a lot of roving and some truly charming moments. Love comes knocking at just the right moment, and the movie evolves into a kind of European fairy tale centred on the last King of Belgium lost in the Balkans.
The monarch himself is played by slender actor Peter Van den Begin, who has appeared in Frits & Franky, Allez Eddy! and Waste Land [+see also:
film review
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interview: Pieter Van Hees
film profile], and who is set to be seen on screens soon in The Ardennes [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Robin Pront
film profile] by Robin Pront, as well as Say Something Funny [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Nic Balthazar. He is joined by Titus de Voogdt – who has been in a good number of television series, such as The Missing, and who will soon be appearing on the big screen, toplining Broer [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the upcoming film by Geoffrey Enthoven – in addition to Lucie Debay, who rose to fame in Melody [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bernard Bellefroid
film profile] by Bernard Bellefroid.
The films of Jessica Woodworth and Peter Brosens are characterised by their lyricism and by the sheer ambitiousness of their scale, which is transposed onto the screen particularly through the importance they place on nature and landscapes, whether they be those of the Mongolian steppes found in Khadak or the Ardennes village portrayed in The Fifth Season. They are also films of rebellion that ask questions about humanity and the consequences of one’s actions. Kebab Royal, however, appears to be leading them towards more trivial issues, focusing on the (in all likelihood) fanciful fortunes of the last King of Belgium, which would hint at a sure-fire reserve of comedy. But the almost supernatural involvement of the solar storm should lend the film a certain lyrical and poetic strength.
The shoot, which kicked off this week in Brussels, has already jetted off to Istanbul. The movie is produced by Bo Films, the Belgian directors’ society, Entre chien et loup and Unlimited on the French side. It has received backing from the VAF, Screen Flanders and the CCA.
(Translated from French)
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