Gods of Molenbeek

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

SECTION: International Forum 2019

SCREENINGS

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

SYNOPSIS

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

The Coffee Break (2009), Economic Forecasters (2015), Gods of Molenbeek (2019)

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 

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

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