MASTERCLASS
A BELGIAN HISTORY OF CINEMA
BY MATTHIEU REYNAERT
– SCREENWRITER – SCRIPT DOCTOR – DIRECTOR – JOURNALIST –

Exclusively at SAE Brussels, more than 30 people were at the campus
to take advantage of the experience and the know-how of Matthieu Reynaert.

As a screenwriter and a film journalist who frequently writes for Focus Vif magazine, Matthieu Reynaert knows Belgian cinema from both sides. Apart from numerous script-doctorings and several short films, he co-wrote Joachim Lafosse’s “Our Children” (Best Actress Prize for Emilie Dequenne at the 2012 Cannes Film festival and Best Film at the Belgian Academy Awards the following year) and Luc Jabon’s “The Survivors” in 2017.
2018 will see the release of his first two shorts as a director.
Matthieu Reynaert, takes us not only through the history of filming in Belgium but also around the world with the Belgians that made it out there.
From the pioneering work of 17th century scientist Joseph Plateau to the ass-kicking of Jean-Claude Van Damme! From quirky silent films shot in the historic scenery of old Brussels, to the Dardenne Brothers’ two Palmes d’Or.
Featuring a lot of film excerpts, Reynaert illustrates the artistic achievements of Belgian filmmakers but also the economic realities that shaped cinema in this small but oh so complicated country.
Aiming to prove the diversity of a burgeoning industry, he painted a broad picture and answered the question:

Is there even such a thing as « Belgian cinema »?