See Brussels… in Venice
Brussels will be honoured during the 74th Venice International Film Festival held from 30 August to 9 September 2017 in three of the films specifically presented as world previews: Hannah (Competition), Tueurs (Cinema nel Giardino) and Le Fidèle (Out of competition). Besides these three feature films, two Brussels projects in development will be presented at the Venice Production Bridge; one documentary and one with virtual reality content.
Brussels, a first-class setting
The three films presented as previews present Brussels as a rich and versatile setting throughout 36 days of shooting. Through a combination of frantic chase scenes downtown with Matthias Schoenaerts and Adèle Exarchopoulos (Le Fidèle), suspense scenes through tunnels with Olivier Gourmet and Bouli Lanners in Tueurs or the solitary strolls of Charlotte Rampling in the streets of Uccle in Hannah, Brussels showcases its potential for unique and exciting locations that are both diverse and authentic. Fans will also recognise the swimming pool of the Neptunium in Schaerbeek and the Brussels Park facing the Royal Palace (Hannah), the Laeken Cemetery, the Place Poelaert, the rue des Minimes and the Parc Albert (Le Fidèle), the Boulevard Pachéco, the Rue du Meiboom and the sunken entrance of the Palace of Justice (Tueurs).
For more than 10 years, the screen.brussels film commission has welcomed Belgian and international film productions in Brussels and supported projects of all kinds: feature films, television series, video clips, etc., which last year represented more than 1,000 days of shooting. In addition, spotted in the various Brussels municipalities were the likes of Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, Dany Boon, Michael Caine, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Vanessa Paradis, Christian Clavier, Pierre Richard and Emily Watson, behind the cameras of Tom Hooper, Tran Anh Hung and Philipp Stölzl.. Brussels owes its appeal to its various settings, ranging from Art Nouveau and Art Deco to modern ultra-contemporary, from Mediaeval to Renaissance, from small village-like urban streets to big boulevards as well as numerous green spaces, not forgetting a certain touch of surrealism. Nestled in the heart of Europe, the city is multicultural and an economic centre full of globally renowned talent in the audiovisual sector (producers, post-producers, technicians, service providers). Also in 2016, 27 feature films and 20 televisions series were filmed in Brussels, ensuring proper visibility for the city as well as economic benefits for today and tomorrow.
Tueurs by François Troukens and Jean-François Hensgens will be presented on 5 September at the Cinema nel Giardino. Hannah by Andrea Pallaoro (Left Field Ventures) will be presented on 8 September in competition. Le Fidèle by Michaël R. Roskam will be presented out of competition on 8 September.
Virtual reality and innovative market
The Brussels company Thank You & Good Night Productions will be present at the Venice Production Bridge with the documentary project Mitra by Jorge Leon. Initiated in 2016, this innovative market is dedicated to projects in development, assisting projects that go beyond traditional audiovisual creations in order to respond to current challenges regarding the coexistence of various platforms and thus provide space for new formats such as web series and virtual reality (VR). As for VR, the Brussels company Wajnbrosse Productions will be presenting the project Kinshasa Now by Marc-Henri Wajnberg at the Venice Production Bridge. VR enjoys a growing presence at the Biennale, with a competition dedicated to VR films, numerous previews, and VR projects, in the Venice Production Bridge. This does, in fact, present an opportunity for the Brussels-Capital Region, which supports the development of this technology, now considered a priority. Within the scope of its strategy dedicated to VR in the audiovisual sector, the screen.brussels cluster will also take the road to Venice to accompany Brussels companies in promoting their projects to help find foreign partners for co-productions.
