Gods of Molenbeek

DIRECTOR(S): Reetta Huhtanen COUNTRY: Finland, Belgium, Germany YEAR: 2019 LANGUAGES: French, Finnish SUBTITLES: German RUNNING TIME: 72 min

SCREENINGS

Thursday, 03.10., 4.15 pm, Caritas-Pirckheimer-Haus

SECTION: International Forum

The district of Molenbeek in Brussels has reputation in media as a center of jihadism, but for six-year-old Aatos and his friend Amine, it is a familiar home.
Here, they listen to spiders, discover black holes, and fight about what is going to steer a flying carpet that is to take them to the lands of their ancestors. They live in the same building, yet come from different worlds. Together they search for answers to the big questions. Aatos wants a god of his own, as Amine already has Allah but the question is complicated by his friend Flo’s belief that people who believe in God have gone crazy. The threat of the adult world suddenly interrupts the children’s play as terrorist bombs explode in a metro station nearby. The streets are filled with tanks, armed soldiers and policemen. Bedtime stories now evoke images of violence and even friendship is put on trial until an expected twist reshapes their lives for good.
GODS OF MOLENBEEK is a wonderful portrayal of childhood friendship, inquiry and the creation of meaning in chaotic times.

REETTA HUHTANEN

Reeta Huhtanen studied Documentary Film at the Aalto University, as well as sociology and philosophy. She is currently working on her disseration. Gods of Molenbeek is her debut film.

FILMOGRAPHY

SCRIPT: Reetta Huhtanen PRODUCER: Iris Pakulla, Hanne Phlypo, Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen, Alex Tondowski CAMERA: Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen EDITOR: Jamin Benazzouz MUSIC: Tuomas Nikkinen, Cassis B. Staudt CAST:

WEBSITE
http://www.realfictionfilme.de/filme/goetter-von-molenbeek/index.php?id=145

PRODUCTION: Tondowski Films & Friends, Clin d’oeil films, Zone2 Pictures WORLD SALES: Maëlle Guenegues, CAT & DOCS GERMAN DISTRIBUTOR: Juliane Teut, Real Fiction Film