Spoorloos (George Sluizers, 1988)
Spoorloos haunts me, and it might for the rest of my life. I can’t write about this film without giving away the ending, so be aware of what you’re getting into if you keep reading.
Sabzian is an international film magazine, hailing from Belgium.Sabzian est une revue de cinéma internationale, originaire de Belgique.Sabzian is een internationaal filmtijdschrift, afkomstig uit België.
Sabzian is a free online magazine that relies on the work of a group of dedicated volunteers. We could use your support. Please consider a donation! Sabzian est un magazine en ligne gratuit qui dépend du travail d’un groupe de bénévoles dévoués. Votre soutien nous aide beaucoup. Pensez à faire un don ! Sabzian is een gratis online magazine dat afhankelijk is van het werk van een groep toegewijde vrijwilligers. We kunnen uw steun goed gebruiken. Overweeg een donatie!
Le chantier de gosses (Jean Harlez, 1970)
Jean Harlez (1924–2026), once dubbed “the savage of Belgian cinema,” was a self-taught filmmaker working outside professional circles. After assisting Charles Dekeukeleire and later working as a cameraman for Marcel Broodthaers, Harlez decided to build his own 35mm camera. With little financial support, he made a first feature film: Le chantier des gosses (1970). Praised at the time as “the first Belgian neo-realist feature film,” it disappeared from view until Cinema Nova in Brussels restored and rereleased it in 2014, when it finally found a wide audience.
Related
Selection
This Week’s Agenda
-
In 1962, before beginning an autopsy, a young coroner read the description of the body on the table before him: “White woman, blue eyes, 36 years old, 1.62 metres, 52 kilograms.” But when he reached her name, Norma Jeane Mortenson, he was stunned. The woman in front of him was Marilyn Monroe. Ever since, generations of journalists have tried to uncover the story behind her death.
On July 1, it will be 100 years since Norma Jeane was born to a single mother struggling with mental illness. As a child, she lived for a time with one of her mother’s friends, until the couple had to relocate for work and could no longer care for her. They gave the sixteen-year-old girl two options: return to the orphanage, where she spent part of her childhood, or get married. Norma Jeane married her neighbour and moved in with his parents.
According to a now-familiar Hollywood myth, she was discovered while spraying flame retardant on warplanes during the war and soon became known as the “blonde bombshell.” This week’s films reflect the persona she incarnated: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953) and The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).
At the time, marriage was both a way to escape from the orphanage and a way to disappear from public life. In another film by Howard Hawks called His Girl Friday, the reporter Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) dreams of leaving journalism behind to marry. Her editor and ex-husband (Cary Grant), tries to lure his ace reporter and love interest with the promise of a career-defining scoop. Reportedly frustrated that Grant’s character had the sharper dialogue, Russell secretly hired a writer to provide her with additional lines during filming. She decided that even if a woman cannot choose the narrative imposed upon her, she can still rewrite it.
Belgian Premieres and Festivals
Each month, Sabzian lists upcoming Belgian premieres, releases and festivals.
Exhibitions
Palace, Brussels
Next Weeks
