Over the past two decades, Belgian cinema, be it from Flanders or from the French speaking part of the country, has risen to prominence in the international filmmaking arena, boasting richly diverse films that consistently garner critical praise and worldwide anticipation. From the unsettling but still urgently relevant MAN BITES DOG which rocked the Cannes Film Festival in 1992 and the quirky and vibrant tale of identity mix-up in TOTO THE HERO, to the monumental saga of DAENS or the Oscar nominated EVERYBODY FAMOUS, the outstanding thrillers
MEMORY OF A KILLER and DOSSIER K, and the string of critically-lauded dramatic works by the brilliant filial duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (ROSETTA, THE SON, THE CHILD, LORNA’S SILENCE), to the gripping social drama ILLEGAL and this year’s impressive crime drama BULLHEAD, the Belgian film industry has proven its dexterity in tone and its originality in aesthetic.
Last year, the Consulate General of Belgium in Los Angeles, launched a monthly Belgian Film Series in partnership with the American Cinemathèque as a celebration of Belgium’s Presidency of the European Union in the second half on 2010. Thanks to the great success of the series, ‘Grit and Whimsy’ returns on a permanent basis starting April 2011. Each third Wednesday of the month is Belgian movie night at the American Cinemathèque in Santa Monica!
BULLHEAD
(2011, Kinepolis Film Distribution, 124 min.) Dir.: Michael Roskam.
A major box-office success in Belgium as well as an official selection of the Berlinale 2011, first-time writer-director Michael R. Roksam’s “crossbreed of hormone-mafia thriller and intense character study… [and] rural potboiler” (Variety) follows bulky, brawny cattle worker Jacky (Matthias Schoenaerts in a powerhouse performance), who becomes embroiled in a lethal web opposite hormone trafficking gangsters when an unscrupulous veterinarian (Sam Louwyk) tries to convince Jacky to get involved in an illegal business scheme.
In Dutch with English subtitles.
On Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 at 7:30 pm at the Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403
Belgian Film Series screenings in Los Angeles is organized by the Consulate General of Belgium in Los Angeles, in cooperation with Flanders Image and Wallonie Bruxelles Images, with the support of E.L.M.A. (European Languages and Movies in America).