Belgica (film)
| Belgica | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Felix Van Groeningen |
| Written by | Arne Sierens and Felix Van Groeningen |
| Produced by | Dirk Impens |
| Starring | Stef Aerts Tom Vermeir |
| Cinematography | Ruben Impens |
| Edited by | Nico Leunen |
| Music by | Soulwax |
| Distributed by | Kinepolis Film Distribution (Belgium) Pyramide Distribution (France) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 127 minutes |
| Countries | Belgium France |
| Language | Flemish |
| Budget | € 3.6 million[1] |
Belgica is a 2016 Belgian drama film directed by Felix Van Groeningen, written by Van Groeningen and Arne Sierens. The two main roles are played by Stef Aerts as Jo and Tom Vermeir as Frank. The soundtrack is composed by Soulwax.[2] The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 21 January 2016,[3] where it opened the World Dramatic Competition.[4] It was theatrically released on 2 March 2016. It is the first film by Van Groeningen since 2012's The Broken Circle Breakdown, which garnered an Academy Award nomination.
Plot
The film deals with the brothers Frank (the older) and Jo (the younger) who run the club "Belgica" in Ghent, Belgium, from the initial success to the later downfall.
Cast
- Sam Louwyck as Rodrigo
- Stef Aerts as Jo
- Tom Vermeir as Frank
Production
The film was shot in Ghent between December 1st 2014 and January 10th 2015.[5]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack consists of 15 pieces of music by Soulwax, a band formed by two brothers from Ghent, composed specifically for the movie.[4] They created different fictional bands, all with their own style, performing at the club. Many reviews of the film specifically discussed the soundtrack, with Lanre Bakare in The Guardian calling it "a great Soulwax soundtrack" in the 4-star review.[4][6] It will be released on PIAS Recordings on 26 February 2016.[7]
Reception
Felix van Groeningen won the "Best Director, World Cinema Dramatic section" award at the 2016 Sundance Festival for the movie. On 17 February 2016, it was announced that Netflix had acquired the global rights to the movie, except for a few European countries including the home country Belgium.[8]
References
- ^ "Belgica". JP's Box-Office.
- ^ Lynskey, Dorian Why Soulwax are writing music for imaginary bands The Guardian. April 5, 2016
- ^ Vlogaert, Hanne (22 January 2016). "Zo lovend is de Amerikaanse filmpers over 'Belgica'". De Morgen (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 January 2016.
- ^ a b c Fuller, Graham (22 January 2016). "'Belgica': Review". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy (19 January 2016). "Sundance directors: Felix van Groeningen, 'Belgica'". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
- ^ Bakare, Lanre (22 January 2016). "Belgica review: a realistic tale of hedonism gone wrong". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
- ^ Middleton, Ryan (27 January 2016). "Soulwax Unveil 'Belgica' Movie Soundtrack Tracklist". MusicTimes.com. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
- ^ Hopewell, John (17 February 2016). "Netflix Takes Sundance Director Winner 'Belgica' for Global (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 19 February 2016.