EN - At the end of the 80’s, Belgium was taken by surprise by the New Beat, a once immensely popular, almost surreal type of dance music. Its unexpected but short lived success didn’t only leave a mark on a new generation of musicians in Belgium in the years to come; its influence was felt in the dance music of neighbouring European countries such as the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Italy to name a few. International acts like the Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers have admitted more than a few times to the influence of this globally obscure music style.
But this brief period of Belgian music history did not just come out of nowhere. The story of the Belgian dance- scene is one that covers many different generations. It brings us back to the pre-war times of carnivals and funfairs with exuberant parties; to the smoke filled, neon lit dance halls of the golden sixties, to dark stages and deafening discotheques in the 80s and 90s.
NL - The Sound of Belgium verkent de elektronische dansmuziek in België en toont aan dat dit geluid uniek is in de wereld. Het vertelt de geschiedenis van een natie en gaat op zoek naar de geest van een land doorheen zijn muziek.
FR - The Sound of Belgium se veut une chronique de la musique de danse en Belgique, racontée au fil des générations. Ce documentaire démontre comment un petit pays situé au cœur de l'Europe est parvenu à produire un son si caractéristique, qu’il lui a valu la reconnaissance mondiale. C'est l'histoire d'un pays racontée autrement, un voyage en quête de l'âme d'une nation à travers sa tradition musicale.
Info
| Title | The Sound Of Belgium |
|---|---|
| Original title | The Sound of Belgium |
| Original version | Dutch, French, English |
| Status | Completed |
| Production | Majority Flemish |
| Category | Docs |
| Year of production | 2012 |
Credits
| Cast | Francois Decap, Tony Decap, Willy Klessens, Jean-Pierre Delabelle, Dan Lacksman, Gilbert Govaerts, José Pascual, Ronnie Galand, Keith McIvor, Ken Ishii, Laurence Van Loo, Cisco Ferreira, Renaat Vandepapeliere, Joey Beltram, Nikkie Van Lierop, Patrick Fasseau, Serge Ramaekers, Sven Van Hees, Herman Gillis, Ronnie Harmsen, Eric Beyssens, C.J. Bolland, Lou Deprijck, Rocco Granata, Eddy De Clercq |
|---|---|
| Photography | Jozef Devillé |
| Editing | Jozef Devillé, Gert Van Berckelaer |
| Sound | Kwinten Van Laethem |
| Sound mix | Senjan Jansen |
| Motion Graphics | Sen Haerens |
Technical specs
| Running time film | 90' |
|---|---|
| Release format | HD 1080p25 |
| Other available formats | DCP, HDCAM, BluRay, DVD |
| Sound format | Stereo LtRt / 5.1 Surround |
| Colour | Colour |
Partners
| Supported by | Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, MEDIA+, Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) |
|---|
Festivals
2012: IFFF - International Film Festival Flanders, Gent (BE), IDFA - International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (NL)
Awards
2012: Redbull Elektropedia Awards - Special Vanguard Award
IDFA: Flanders docs out in full force
Five documentaries as well as two projects from Flanders have been selected for this year’s 25th IDFA. The five docs are Rain by Gerard-Jan Claes and Olivia Rochette, The Sound of Belgium by Jozef Devillé, Expecting by Fabio Wuytack, Snake Dance by Manu Riche and Patrick Marnham, and The Wave by Sarah Vanagt and Katrien Vermeire. Projects from two Flemish documentary makers –The Shadow World by Johan Grimonprez and White Elephants by Kristof Bilsen – are also selected for the IDFA Forum.
Rain by Gerard-Jan Claes and Olivia Rochette features in the First Appearance competition and follows a ballet production from initial auditions right up to opening night. Producer is Bart Van Langendonck for Savage Film. In Expecting (pictured left), which is selected for the IDFA Panorama, director Fabio Wuytack portrays an Afghan-Kosovan refugee couple as they struggle through their daily lives. The Sound of Belgium by Jozef Devillé and produced by Visualantics is part of the Music Documentary competition and explores the rich, untold story of Belgian dance music.
Flanders docs bonanza at 25th IDFA
Five documentaries from Flanders as well as five co-productions are selected for this year's 25th edition of IDFA (14-25 November). The five are: Rain by Gerard-Jan Claes and Olivia Rochette, The Sound of Belgium by Jozef Devillé, Expecting by Fabio Wuytack, Snake Dance by Manu Riche, and The Wave by Sarah Vanagt and Katrien Vermeire. Projects from two Flemish documentary makers, The Shadow World by Johan Grimonprez and White Elephants (working title) by Kristof Bilsen, can also be found in the IDFA.
Rain by Gerard-Jan Claes and Olivia Rochette features in the First Appearance competition for first documentaries. On 25 May 2011, the world-renowned Ballet de l’Opéra national de Paris presented Rain, in its first ever performance by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. Olivia Rochette and Gerard-Jan Claes followed the rehearsal process from the auditions to the opening performance. Producer is Bart Van Langendonck for Savage Film.
Last edited on 14 November 2012