SYNOPSIS​
Steven and Abdel, two young Belgians, leave for Syria. One as a journalist, the other as a fighter.
Yet they have more in common than you might think.​
SELECTIONS
Ostend Film Festival​ 2017
Leuven International Short Film Festival 2017
Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival- national selection 2018
Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival - international selection 2018
Bermuda International Film Festival 2018
Athens International Film Festival 2018
Twister Alley Film Festival 2018
Euro Shorts international film festival​ 2018
Brussels International Short Film Festival - national selection 2018
Brussels International Short Film Festival - international selection 2018
Leiden International Short Film Festival 2018
Stony Brook Film Festival 2018
Best of Short Films Festival LA CIOTAT 2018
ARKADIA shortfest 2018
Slemani Inernational Film Festival 2018
Portobello Film Festival 2018
Sose International Film Festival​ 2018
Minsk International Short Film Festival Kinosmena 2018
Adriatic Film Festival​ 2018
Tallgrass Film Festival 2018
Cortocircuito – Savigliano Film Festival ​ 2018
Courage Film Festival​ 2018
Trash Film Festival​ 2018
International Independent Film Festival Publicystyka​ 2018
Izmir Short Film Festival 2018
 Linea D'ombra - Festival Culture Giovani 2018
Bogotá Short Film Festival ​2018
Karama Human Rights Film Festival 2018
International Motion Festival, Cyprus 2018
South West London International Film Festival​ 2018
Mediterranean Film Festival Cannes​ 2018
Tournai Ramdam Festival​ 2019
 International Film Festival ZOOM – ZBLIŻENIA​ 2019
20minmax International Short Film Festival​ 2019
Landshut Short Film Festival​ 2019
European Film Festival of Lille​ 2019
Karama Gaza Film Festival 2019
International Fantastic Film Festival of Reunion Island​ 2020
Festival Cinema Migrations Agadir​ 2020
 Karama Yemen Human Rights Film Festival​ 2020
​
AWARDS
Press jury award for BEST BELGIAN FILM
Second place for the audience award at 'International Short Film Festival Leuven'
Best foreign film at 'Euro Shorts international film festival​'
Grand Prix Michel Deyvillers at 'Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival'
Fedex Prize at 'Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival'
Best narrative short film at 'Promofest'
Short of the year at 'Promofest'
RTBF-La Trois Award at 'Brussels International Short Film Festival'
Best action movie at 'Trash Film Festival​​'
Third place ​'Slemani Inernational Film Festival'
Jury award 'Cortocircuito – Savigliano Film Festival'
Audience Award 'Cortocircuito – Savigliano Film Festival'
Best Fiction - 'South West London International Film Festival'
Best Short Film - ​'Sose International Film Festival'
Best Short Film - 'Tournai Ramdam Festival​'
Audience Award - 'Landshut Short Film Festival'
Innovation Award - 'Landshut Short Film Festival'
CREDITS

​ZODIAK BELGIUM presents
in co-production with EARTH IN MOTION

with the support of
the FLANDERS AUDIOVISUAL FUND (VAF)
the BELGIAN TAX SHELTER FOR FILM FINANCING

DIRECTED AND WRITTEN BY
SENNE DEHANDSCHUTTER

PRODUCED BY
KRIS SPAEPEN

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
SERGE BIERSET

CO-WRITER
KEVIN INGELBRECHT

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
ROBRECHT HEYVAERT

ART DIRECTOR
NICOLAS VANDER BIEST

EDITED BY
FREDERIK JASSOGNE

MUSIC BY
LIESA VAN DER AA

MATTHIEU SYS

SOUFIANE CHILAH

DAHLIA PESSEMIERS
LINE PILLET
KOEN VAN IMPE

LINE PRODUCERS
ELLEN DE RUYCK
TANGUY LIJSSENS

FIRST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
EDDY STEVESYNS

LOCATIONS MANAGER
GUY VANSLYPE

COSTUME DESIGNERS
MELISSA FELLAHI
GUDRUN WYLLEMAN

MAKEUP ARTIST
KATRIEN FRENSSEN

SOUND
MICHEL DAEMS
​MATTHIAS HILLEGEER
PETER NIETVELT
​
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MOROCCO
ALI BAKKIOUI

POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR
MAARTEN DEBULPAEP
​​​​SHOT ON LOCATION IN SEFROU, MOROCCO
​
INTENTION
The past years I made a number of documentaries about the Arab world and the Arab part of our own society. Living in multicultural Brussels, it's a subject dear to my heart. In this short film I used some of my collected experiences. We go back to the beginning of the Syrian conflict. ISIS was yet to be invented. A big number of young Belgian muslims left for Syria to fight Assad's forces. Not all of them were fanatics or extremists. Many came back after a few weeks, disillusioned and horrified. It fascinates me that there are some similarities between them and the many young western journalists that wanted to kick-start their careers in Syria around the same time. They left without experience nor guidance. Like their muslim peers, they were driven by a reckless mixture of idealism, ego, search for purpose and urge for adventure. At some point I almost walked the same disastrous path as the young journalist in my film. 

Senne Dehanddschutter
 duration: 16’42”         production year: 2017 ​
​
send@sennedehandschutter.com
© Zodiak Belgium 2017