Leading film news website Indiewire recently added Felix van Groeningen’s The Broken Circle Breakdown to its ‘Fall Festival Wishlist: The films we hope to see in Venice, Toronto and/or Telluride.’ Director van Groeningen is in good company on the list, where he rubs shoulders with the likes of Sofia Coppola, Kathryn Bigelow, Robert Redford, Joel and Ethan Coen, Ang Lee, Paul Thomas Anderson, Brian De Palma and Terrence Malick.
Indiewire based its list on ‘speculation and predictions… about what was in store for the triad of major festivals of the very early fall.’ The Broken Circle Breakdown was recently picked up by Berlin-based sales agent The Match Factory, another sure indicator of the film’s chances for international success. This is the first time The Match Factory has had a Belgian film in its catalogue.
The film, starring acclaimed Belgian actress Veerle Baetens (Code 37) and Johan Heldenbergh (The Misfortunates), is an intense melodrama, a love story full of passion and music about how love can conquer fate – and sometimes not. The Misfortunates, van Groeningen’s previous film, premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight of Cannes 2009 and was awarded the the Prix Art et Essai.
While speculation continues on a selection for one of the major fall festivals, one screening has already been confirmed. The Broken Circle Breakdown will open the 39th Flanders International Film Festival in Ghent on 9 October. Distributor KFD will release the film in theatres in Belgium the following day. The Broken Circle Breakdown was produced by Dirk Impens of Menuet, who worked together with van Groeningen on his previous three features, and received support from The Flanders Audiovisual Fund.
Read the Indiewire article here