Belgian director Bas Devos selected for the Berlinale with ‘Hellhole’
Belgian director Bas Devos had the honour of presenting his film ‘Hellhole’ at the Berlin International Film Festival last week. Following his debut film ‘Violet’, ‘Hellhole’ is now the second film to earn Devos an invitation to the Festival.
The young director is currently competing with 21 other films in the ‘Panorama’ category, including Mid90s, actor Jonah Hill's directorial debut; Skin, the Neo-Nazi drama starring Jamie Bell, and A Dog Called Money, a documentary about British musician PJ Harvey. In 2014, Devos claimed first prize with Violet in the ‘Generation 14plus’ category. Hellhole has also been well received.
The film follows three lonely people roaming around Brussels in the aftermath of the attacks on 22 March 2016. The focus lies on Wannes, a Flemish doctor, played by Willy Thomas. During his home visits, the doctor meets a man of Algerian origin who reminds him of his son. The third main character, Alba, is an Italian interpreter who is the doctor's patient due to her drugs problems. Heavy stuff, and yet the film remains really tender and moving. 'My aim is to unravel the city's structure in all its everyday glory and strength. I believe in heart-warming films in a hard-hitting context,' explains the director.