Mad in Belgium

A cinematic "dissection" of a certain kind of Belgian filmmaking, featuring writers, directors, and actors who have demonstrated that fabrication is an act of creation. Convinced that any so-called "new" work was in fact a rehash of what had already been done, these pirates of images snuck in under the radar as forgers, liars, tricksters, usurpers, and outlaws to participate in dynamiting the institutional language through simulacrum and absurdity, from the 1992 mockumentary Man Bites Dog to Jan Bucquoy’s fabulist depictions of Belgitude. A freewheeling journey that aims to offer a closer look at the marvelous eccentrics working on the fringes of the Belgian film industry.

Director Yves Montmayeur won the Golden Lion for Best Documentary at the Venice Film Festival with his profile of Canadian director Guy Maddin, The 1000 Eyes of Dr Maddin. He has also profiled Michael Haneke (Michael H. Profession: Director) and made a dozen documentaries on Asian cinema, including Ghibli and the Mystery of Miyazaki, In the Mood for Doyle (on Wong Kar-Wai’s cinematographer), and a profile of director Takeshi Kitano (2020).

Writer/Director: Yves Montmayeur

Cast: Stéphane Aubier, Jan Bucquoy, Noël Godin, Bouli Lanners, Vincent Patar, Benoit Poelvoorde, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Xavier Séron, Olivier Smolders, Vincent Tavier, Fabrice du Welz

Year: 2021

Run Time: 1hr 33min

Country: France / Belgium

Language: French

Genre: Documentary