EN - The story of public sector workers in a railway station, post office and the only fire station in Kinshasa offers a poetic, compassionate insight in a country in transition, in lives lived beyond chaos. How do people preserve their dignity when the world around is falling apart?
Info
| Title | White Elephants |
|---|---|
| Original title | White Elephants |
| Original version | French, Lingala |
| Status | In development |
| Production | Majority Flemish |
| Category | Docs |
| Genre | creative documentary / geopolitics |
| Year of production | 2013 |
Credits
| Photography | Kristof Bilsen |
|---|---|
| Editing | Eduardo Serrano |
Technical specs
| Running time film | 75' / 52' |
|---|---|
| Release format | HD |
| Other available formats | HDCAM, Blu-ray |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Colour | Colour |
| Available in | 2D |
Partners
| Supported by | Cinereach, Worldview |
|---|---|
| Production partners | Roast Beef Productions (UK) |
Festivals
2012: IDFA Forum
IDFA: Bilsen pitches White Elephants
Kristof Bilsen was at IDFA last year with his graduation film White Elephant. Now he's back for the IDFA Forum, the festival's co-production market, with a project that will extend the short documentary into a feature.
In this feature project, called White Elephants, Bilsen wants to continue the story of the Kinshasa central post office which he portrayed in his graduation short and explore the city's railway and fire stations.
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 22 November 2012