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Fabrice du Welz

Maldoror

Director Fabrice du Welz Composer Vincent Cahay Cast Anthony Bajon, Alba Gaïa Bellugi, Alexis Manenti
155' - 2024 - Drama, Police, Thriller - Format: DCP - Dialogue: French
In the mid-1990s, the Belgian gendarmerie secretly runs a three-man operation to track down two missing girls. The manhunt for the prime suspect and his accomplices eats away at the soul and personal life of Paul Chartier, a fresh-faced and idealistic police officer with a short fuse and a troubled past. Maldoror is no sensationalist roman à clef around the infamous Dutroux case, but rather a true crime-inspired, sinister procedural in its own right. Through his profound understanding of genre cinema, writer-director Fabrice du Welz probes the cracks in the human psyche and institutions of power. Hellish or healing, lead actor Anthony Bajon will drag you down along du Welz’s collective calvary.
14
Monday October
09:00 Kinepolis 6 Subtitles: Dutch - French
17
Thursday October
+ Guest
19:45 Kinepolis 2 Subtitles: Dutch - French
18
Friday October
10:00 Kinepolis 1 Subtitles: Dutch - French
20
Sunday October
17:00 Kinepolis 4 Subtitles: English
With the police revenge fantasy Maldoror, du Welz continues his descent into the heart of evil and madness.

In 1995, Belgium is gripped by the disturbing disappearance of two young girls. The idealistic yet volatile gendarme Paul Chartier is enlisted in a covert surveillance operation called 'Maldoror' to monitor a suspect and his accomplices. When the police and judicial system fail him, Paul decides to continue the hunt alone. His dedication gradually morphs into obsession, placing immense strain on both his moral compass and his newlywed marriage.

Since Calvaire (FFG 2004), Fabrice du Welz has been making waves in Belgian cinema with his uncompromising, dark genre films. With Maldoror, the Brussels-born director delves deeper into the heart of evil and madness, crafting a policier-revenge fantasy. The film’s title references the malevolent figure from Comte de Lautréamont’s prose poem Les Chants de Maldoror. Du Welz draws inspiration from the highly publicized Dutroux case of the 1990s, which sent shockwaves through the country, spotlighting the scandal surrounding the faltering justice system and feuding police forces. The outrage and anger over the investigative failures fuel the societal trauma that du Welz illuminates with a dark lens. Surrounding himself with fresh and loyal talent, including editor Nico Leunen, composer Vincent Cahay, and cinematographer Manu Dacosse, du Welz continues to push boundaries. Anthony Bajon’s performance reinforces why he was awarded the Silver Bear in Berlin for his role in La prière (2018).

Du Welz has dedicated fifteen years to this first installment of an ambitious trilogy aimed at confronting the darkest aspects of Belgian history. The forthcoming films, Rubber - which explores the ruthless rubber exploitation in pre-independence Belgian Congo - and Rex - which examines Belgian collaboration with Nazi Germany on the Russian front - are in the pipeline. Known for his unflinching approach, du Welz’s Maldoror, which premiered out of competition at the Venice Film Festival, marks a significant turning point in his career.

Image gallery

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Credits

Directors

Fabrice du Welz

Composers

Vincent Cahay

Cast

Anthony Bajon, Alba Gaïa Bellugi, Alexis Manenti

Scenario

Fabrice du Welz, Domenico La Porte

Director of Photography

Manuel Dacosse

Editors

Nico Leunen

Producers

Jean-Yves Roubin, Cassandre Warnauts, Manuel Chiche

Production studios

Frakas Productions

Distributor

O'Brother Distribution

More info

Dialogue

French

Countries of production

Belgium, France

Year

2024

Filmography

Fabrice du Welz
Folles aventures de Thierruu Van Hoost (short, 1997), Quand on est amoureux, c'est marveileux (short, 1999), Calvaire (2004), Vinyan (2008), Alleluia (2014), Colt 45 (2014), Message from the King (2016), Des cowboys et des indiesn: le cinéma de Patar et Aubier (TV-Movie, 2018), Adoration (2019), Inexorable (2021), La passion selon Béatrice (2024), Maldoror (2024)

Technical Specs

Format
DCP