I'm still alive.

This is my first blogpost in over a year... A list of the best, most refreshing or entertaining films I saw at the International Film Festival 2013



'Halley' by Sebastián Hoffman: a film about a zombie, without being a zombiefilm, an interesting portrait on decay, and man in relation to its body. The contrasts between the ineradicable bodily decay of main character Beto and images of the active and energetic bodies of people working out in the gym, is phenomenal. The same contrast is seen in Beto's compulsive orderliness in regard to his house, and his failure to gain the same effect with his own body. One of the greatest surprises of the festival.


'Spring Breakers' by Harmony Korine. Somehow his least shocking film, but definitely his most hilarious: the disturbing discomfort of 'Gummo' made place for an over-the-top style, ultimately resulting in the embodiment of the word hyperbole. James Franco's character is hilarious, and Britney Spears' music will never be the same after seeing this film.


'De Ontmaagding van Eva van End' by Michiel ten Horn; finally a Dutch film that borrows from the style of Wes Anderson, Todd Solondz and 'Little Miss Sunshine', and is clearly influenced by the graphic novels of Chris Ware and Daniel Clowes. A dysfunctional family, but not as dark and destructive as those in the Solondz films. We definitely needed one of those!


'Kid' by Fien Troch: Social realism + a child's perspective (and the humour and cheekiness that comes along with this) +  astonishing photography = Belgian films how we like 'em


'Berberian Sound Studio' by Peter Strickland; despite sound being a crucial factor in creating dramatic effect in film, it is ofter undervalued, or considered of minor importance in relation to image: this film is all about sound, and hence makes you aware of its significance. Also plenty of dream versus reality, film within a film strings thrown out in this one, resulting into a mysterious, David Lynch-worthy atmosphere.


'Stoker' by Park Chan-Wook: Had Edgar Allen Poe been a filmmaker, this could have been a film he would have made.... sinister, morbid and impeccably stylish.


'Me Too' by Alexei Balabanov; some absurdist film about Russians driving through the snow, drinking and looking for happiness, what more does one want from a film?


'Paradies: Glaube' by Ulrich Seidl: to me, more interesting, hilarious and featuring a more tragic dimension than Paradies: Liebe.


'Bellas Mariposas' by Salvatore Mereu, as a member of the Big Screen Award Jury we awarded this film with distribution in the Benelux, so how can I not recommend it? From our jury report: a refreshing film providing a young perspective, an incredibly positive story about the joys of the small things in life and ultimately: a celebration of life all together.


'Vergiss Mein Nicht' by David Sieveking: 'Amour' in documentary form, a touching family history: Sieveking's family has to (re)create the past, now his mother is losing any sense of that past, due to Alzheimers. Touching to see how these changes bring the family closer together.


and no trailer, but also: 'The Pervert's Guide to Ideology' by Sophie Fiennes: is there anything better in the world than Slavoj Zizek explaining the ideology behind a Kinder Egg?