Gods of Molenbeek

starts in German cinemas November 21, 2019

Synopsis

The Molenbeek district of Brussels. In media seen as jihadi capital but home sweet home to the 6 year-old boys Aatos and Amine. Together they search for answers to the big questions. Aaatos envies Amine’s Muslim faith and looks for his own gods, although his classmate Flo questions him; she is strongly convinced that anyone who believes in God is completely nuts.
The threat of the adults 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.

REVIEWS:

The filmmaker has cleverly made a film that puts the magic of childhood in the foreground as a comment to the world around the two boys. It’s charming, it’s what we remember from our own childhood, it’s what a grandfather like me sees so often, it gives hope, doesn’t it? This film will travel the world. (Tue Steen Müller, filmkommentaren.dk)

Gods of Molenbeek is a wonderful portrayal of childhood friendship, inquiry and the creation of meaning in a chaotic time. (Göteborg International Film Festival)

Cast & Crew

Director

Reetta Huhtanen
Producer

Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen (Zone2 Pictures), Hanne Phlypo (Clin d'oeil Films), Alex Tondowski (Tondowski Films)
Director of photography

Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen
Editor (Cut)

Jamin Benazzouz
Sound

Bert Aerts
Compositing

Senjan Jansen

Festivals/awards

2019

* Best Foreign Language Film at Doxs! Documentaries for children and youth -festival in Duisburg, Germany
* MakeDox: - Young Onion Award- for the best newcomer’s film
* MakeDox:- Moral Approach Award
* Golden Lynx Award for Best Documentary Feature
   - New Directors | New Films Festival
* Double prize at Tampere Film Festival:
  Special prize and Church Media Foundation prize
* Audience Award and The Critic's Choise Award
   DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival (Finland)

* DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival (Finland)
* Göteborg International Film Festival (Sweden)
* Tampere Film Festival (Finland)
* One World International Film Festival (Czech Republic)br />
* Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival (Greece)br />
* Millenium International Documentary Film Festival (Belgium)br />
* Docville / Fonk (Belgium)
* Tampere Film Festival (Finland)
* Visions du Réel (Nyon, Switzerland)
* Magnificent 7 Festival - European Feature Documentary Film Festival (Serbia)
* Hot Docs (Toronto, Canada)
* DOXA Documentary Film Festival (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
* CineDoc-Tbilisi - Documentary film festival (Georgia )
* Dok.Fest Münich (Germany)
* Docaviv (Tel Aviv, Israel)
* Krakow Film Festival (Poland)
* OsloPix
* Biografilm
* Shanghai
* Busan Int'l Kids and Youth Film Festival
* Eidf
* Baltic Sea Forum
* Salina DocFest
* Take One Action
* IFIDFF
* Reykjavik

Co-Production Company

Tondowski Films

Obentrautstr. 55
10963 Berlin

Cast & Crew

Reetta Huhtanen
Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen (Zone2 Pictures), Hanne Phlypo (Clin d'oeil Films), Alex Tondowski (Tondowski Films)
Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen
Jamin Benazzouz
Bert Aerts
Senjan Jansen

Film Info

Co-Production Company

links / references

Categories