Why is a Belgian film festival being held in Dordogne?
A film festival on the theme of... Belgium. The first edition of Festibelge, organized by two veterans of the film industry from the flat country, will take place from Friday, July 18 to Monday, July 21 in the Périgord Vert region.
"We are Belgian and proud of it," declares Vincent Dechêne, as if to justify holding the event. He and his partner Dominique Couvreur are preparing to launch, along with three other volunteers, Festibelge, a festival dedicated to Belgian cinema, which will be held from Friday, July 18 to Monday, July 21, in Dordogne and Charente (see below).
From Belgium to PérigordIt all began two years ago, following the participation of friends in a festival. Then the idea of organizing a similar event in the Southwest germinated. "From the start, we wanted to focus on Belgium," the man recalls with a smile. In his native country, he worked for several years in the film industry. Having come to join his partner in Périgord, Vincent Dechêne is now a wood turner.
"It's a nod to French cinema," says Dominique Couvreur, co-organizer of Festibelge.
It was only after having the idea of setting up a Belgian festival that the two compatriots and their colleagues chose to organize the event around the big screen. Wednesday, October 30, 2024, the film "The Art of Being Happy" will be released. "I know Stefan Liberski, the director. That's how the idea came to make the festival about cinema," says the sixty-year-old. For Dominique Couvreur, "it's a nod to French cinema," thanks to which several Belgian actors have made a name for themselves.
A traveling festivalThe small group then got in touch with the Ciné Passion association and contacted several cinemas. "The idea of traveling came from the start," says Vincent Dechêne, who hopes to enlist the help of around twenty volunteers. The event will take place in Ribérac, Bourdeilles, Nontron, and Édon (Charente). One of the festival's highlights will be the open-air screening of "King of the Belgians." "We wanted a truly Belgian, family-friendly film," summarizes the co-organizer.
On the program Screenings. The comedy "The Art of Being Happy," directed by Belgian Stefan Liberski, will be screened Friday at 9 p.m. at the Max-Linder cinema in Ribérac, after an opening reception at 8 p.m. "The King of the Belgians" will be screened at 10 p.m. on Saturday, outdoors, at the promenade in Bourdeilles. On Sunday, the thriller "The Night Drags," winner of ten Magritte Film Awards, will be screened at the Louis-Delluc cinema in Nontron. Finally, to close the festival on Monday, the Belgian national holiday, the documentary "Destroying Rejuvenates" will be presented at 10 p.m. at the Chat Brol workshop in Édon (Charente). Roundtable. On Sunday, a roundtable will be held at 3 p.m. on the concept of "Belgitude," in the presence of Marco Lamensch, the director of the show "Strip-Tease." Village. The festival village will be set up along the promenade in Bourdeilles, Saturday from 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Guests can enjoy Belgian specialties there: beer specially brewed for the occasion, fries, and meatballs with rabbit sauce. Convenient. Admission: by the hat for documentaries and programs, free for events, and the usual Ciné Passion prices for feature films. More information by email at [email protected].
SudOuest
