Brussels makes cinema
A state within a state – dedicated to cinema. That is the driving philosophy of Brussels makes cinema, a series of free and open air screenings in various neighbourhoods of the Belgian capital. Organised by the French Community Commission, Libération Films, Brel in Brussels and the Mediterranean Film Festival, the event is a way of re-introducing the capital’s residents to the pleasures of cinema in the summer months.
The programme includes three Mediterranean productions about issues faced by contemporary multi-cultural society: Italian comedy Pane e Tulipani by Silvio Soldini, Belgium’s Au-delà de Gibraltar by Taylan Barman and Mourad Boucif about a Moroccan family living in Brussels and 100% Arabica by Mahmoud Zemmouri set against a backdrop of an old but lively Paris suburb.
2003 is also the anniversary of singer-songwriter Jacques Brel’s birth and to celebrate, the organisers will hold screenings of his films in his home town of Schaerbeek, Anderlecht, where the Brel family had a paper mill and Uccle, where Brel lived. The Brel tribute includes considerable archive footage including his 1963 concert in Knokke, an interview he gave in 1972 and Les Adieux de Brel in 1966 at the Olympia in Paris.
(Translated from French)
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
