Bas devos "here"

The beginnings of the Belgian director Bas devos They were promising, highlighting their film "Violet" , of 2014. Five years later, in 2019, he reaffirmed with two consecutive works, "Hellhole" And above all, "Ghost tropic". With "Here", made in 2023, but distributed in 2024, has reached His most moving work, using delicacy and simplicity as main resources. The film won the Best film in the Encounters sectionIn Berlin Festival of 2023.

The film lacks practically argument, but to better understand the intention of Devos, consider Brussels as the main scenario. In this city, we know Stefan (Stefan Gota), A young Romanian immigrant who works in the construction and who, after the weekend, intends to take four weeks of vacation to return to his country. In order to empty the fridge before its departure, he decides to prepare a soup that will give family, friends and acquaintances. On the other hand, it is Shuxiu (Liyo Gong), A young woman of Chinese descent, who works as a biology and researcher teacher at the university, focusing her work on mosses. In his free time, he collaborates with his aunt in a small home food restaurant.

The first planes of the film, captured with Fixed cameraThey reveal a remarkable subtlety, since a building under construction is glimpsed among the trees, accompanied by the sound of the machines. This image anticipates the contrast between nature and the urban environment, or more precisely, as proposed Devos rightly, The symbiosis between the urban and the natural that will be developed throughout the film. Inside the building, Devos It focuses on small details, while in the background some workers talk, among which is, for the moment, anonymously, Stefan. Later, Stefan He will acquire greater prominence, appearing with two teammates on the bus back home, wishing each other a happy vacation.

Stefan suffers from insomnia And, unable to fall asleep, he addresses the fridge. When you realize that you should use the food you have, before traveling to Romania, you choose to prepare an abundant soup casserole. Later, during the night, he goes to visit his friend Cedric, who works as a receptionist in a hotel, giving him a taper with a portion of the soup he has cooked. Both friends talk, revealing him Stefan, who has received the call from a friend's mother (without her knowing that Stefan He is in Belgium), asking him to visit his son Marian that is in jail. Stefan reveals to Cedric, the nostalgia That he has felt of the times of childhood: the forests, the summer house, the mischief or catch firefly (as the film progresses, Stefan In his insomnia, he will launch himself again and take a firefly in his hands to observe his light).

Throughout the conversation, it can be inferred that Stefan He does not feel fully satisfied with his current situation, showing hesitation when Cedric He asks about the duration of his permanence in Romania. It is possible that your stay extends beyond the four weeks that you had initially planned. This conflict of uprooting emigrants as Stefan It is one of the main themes that will be addressed in the movie.

At a later time, we hear the voice of a woman with an oriental accent, while the director shows us short trains sequences, ducklings moving between bushes, details of mosses and images of trees. This woman felt an intense panic when she woke up, without being able to remember the words that designated the objects around her, until, after a while, she managed to recover them. We will know that this episode has happened to Shuxiu, who later shows us by analyzing mosses in his research at the university and, subsequently, teaching a biology class in the same environment.

Devos It will alternate the camera between both characters in their daily future. In this way, we have observed Shuxiu In the university and in his return home, collecting some moss that grows at the base of the buildings to analyze it later. Then, the camera focuses on Stefan, who shows interest in a community urban garden, also asking the caretaker about the name of seeds that, possibly for the wind, ended in their pocket. Later, he is observed walking towards a car repair workshop that belongs to his relative Mihai, played by the Romanian actor Teodor Corban. Stefan offers soup a Mihai, who shares it with its two employees. Together, they start a conversation in which Mihai He recounts his peculiar experience upon receiving a defibrillator, describing the strange sensations he experienced during anesthesia and waking up. Unfortunately, the sad news of the Theodor's death Corban after finishing the filming of the film (Bas devos He dedicated the movie).

In a night scene of great beauty, Devos position the camera outside a small Chinese restaurant, owned by the aunt of Shuxiu, allowing us to observe Stefan inside through rain and wet glass. The two protagonists of the story maintain a cordial and enjoyable dialogue, although somehow, still lacking intimacy.

Stefan Visit to your sister Haunch (Alina Constantin) to the hospital, who is working in a night's day. During their conversation, they address issues about their land of origin, family and friends, and Stefan once again expresses your feeling of Existential exhaustion, suggesting that his life in Belgium has become repetitive and monotonous. Haunch It comforts him.

Stefan You must go to collect your car from the workshop to leave for Romania, and decide to walk through the forest. On his way, he is unexpectedly with Shuxiu. Before the surprise of this meeting, Stefan He tells him his purpose, while Shuxiu He reveals that he is investigating the mosses. Intrigued Stefan Look at the samples she teaches. As the day progresses, the night is approaching and Stefan Completely forget your car. In this way, a Connection between both young people through nature, a central theme of the film.

Simultaneously to the exploration and collection of mosses by the two young people, Grimm Vandekerckhove, capture Impressive images of various types of mosses, each with unique characteristics.

Without providing more details about the film, it is evident that The relationship between the two young people transforms their way of seeing the other. It is possible that Stefan Do not consider your current situation as a gloomy future, thanks to the connection you have developed with Shuxiu. Similarly, although Shuxiu It seems to be more adapted to the urban life of Brussels, the bond that has been established with Stefan. However, as in real life, Devos presents an open outcome.

I'm interested in knowing some opinions of Bas devos Around its excellent film and I go to various interviews, among which I will introduce some relevant details.

MARIA GIOVANNA VARENAS interrogate in Sense of Cinema To our director. (Full interview, here)

It is suggestive to know the origin of the film in the mind of Bas devos, And Maria Giovanna The director is concerned about it:

• What was the original idea behind Here? How did this project start?

• No hubo un punto de partida único y bien definido, sino varios puntos de partida que comenzaron a converger a lo largo del proceso. Estaba investigando y considerando la migración laboral en Bruselas, concretamente la migración laboral rumana, porque la ciudad tiene una comunidad rumana considerable. A pesar de que conocía a algunos rumanos, no pude comprender realmente el tamaño de este grupo de inmigrantes relativamente recientes. Esta investigación evolucionó en paralelo con mi lectura y exploración del mundo microscópico de las plantas más pequeñas, como los líquenes, el musgo y los hongos. Estaba fascinado e intrigado por cómo estas pequeñas plantas hablan de nuestros orígenes y nuestra relación con el mundo natural. Al principio, estos dos sujetos parecían ser algo independientes, y no estaba seguro de si alguna vez se cruzarían, pero pronto, muy gradualmente, comenzaron a moverse juntos. Además de esto, quería trabajar con Stefan Gota, que interpreta al personaje principal de la película. Jugó un pequeño papel en mi película anterior, Ghost Tropic. Intuitivamente sentí que quería trabajar con él, con la esperanza también de conocerlo mejor a través de esta colaboración. Para mí hacer una película también es una excusa para aprender cosas, para conocer gente y para sumergirme en un tema específico, especialmente al comienzo de un proyecto cuando la narrativa aún no está clara. El cine es una excusa para tener curiosidad y, a veces, una película puede surgir de esa curiosidad.

One of the successes of Bas devos, is the Analog employment of cinematographic material. Thus, when choosing the 4: 3 format, almost obsolete, in 16 mm. instead of digital cinema, The film is shown authentically and organicly. It is clear that it presents their challenges, not being able to repeat the scenes, but That essence of the specific moment in which it is filmed is what drives devos. The shots will be recorded, so the commitment of the actors and the technical team of the film must be absolute. Very appropriately, Maria Giovanna interrogates the director, in this regard:

• Could you explain why you decided to roll in 16 mm?

• I think it is always an interesting question how much superficial aesthetics a film can have. Making a beautiful image is no longer a challenge. We have incredible digital cameras and you can put a large LCD screen on the set, frame something, you can put the light and you can see what you are doing. Every image I see is well executed and beautiful. The surface aesthetics is just a part of this choice. For me this process becomes very interesting when I begin to understand the temporal and spatial aspect of a frame, when I understand that we can show only "this" part of an apartment, for example, and it will tell me the same as 20 take from this same apartment. We can only show this side of Stefan, but I trust that it will show all the different sides of Stefan.

• In terms of filming time, film use is a limitation ...

• Yes, and you have to think about it. You can pay endlessly with digital cinematography. You can film the same sequence over and over again. This is why digital cinematography can have both a beautiful and dangerous side. There are, in my opinion, great examples of filmmakers who have dominated digital cinematography and used it in their favor, ending with things that were previously unimaginable. I also see its beauty. But I am still a bit, not in a nostalgic way, in love with this idea of ​​concentration. I like to say: "Hey, we are all here. Let's do it. Let's take advantage of this moment!" In addition, I still give me a lot of pleasure to know that what we just shot will be in the movie. It is not something that will be eliminated. It is not something that will disappear, or that is going to be cut into a million pieces. We are not going to make the movie in the assembly. We will face it in the edition, but we will not achieve it in the edition. It's done here, right now!

One of the most curious scenes occurs when our biologist, in the middle of the urban environment, stops to collect a small moss that grows at the base of a building.

• Signs with sensitivity the resilience of the plant world in the city. There is a brief scene in which Shuxiu, the female protagonist, sees some moss grow on a sidewalk in the center of Brussels and picks it cautiously. The beauty of a plant that grows in the asphalt is very revealing for me. What does the coexistence of nature and urban landscape mean for you?

• We are deeply connected to the plant world, however, the so -called technological development makes us often not aware of this crucial link. Part of my research and my interest in this film was the fact that there is a kind of omnipresent but invisible green world in our cities. You need to pay renewed attention, be aware of it but, once you begin to perceive it again, you see it everywhere and your constant presence really attracts your attention. I don't think it's something deep. In fact, it is quite obvious. However, I was amazed when I realized how my own perception of the city changed once I began to notice that the moss grew everywhere. The moss is a very resistant plant. It grows on the sides of the buildings in the same way that would grow in the cliffs in rocky areas. It is interesting to see these analogies between man -made structures. Once again, it is very little spectacular, but it is magical to be a bit in contact with this notion of interconnection. I suppose it is also a reason why so many people are attracted to literature that revalue our connection with the natural world. For example, much has been written about how fungal networks work, allowing plants to communicate with each other to a certain level. Sometimes we anthropomorphize or read too much in it. However, this research tells us about a world that we somehow forget, but with which we are in tune.

A good part of the footage happens at night and we are curious about this predilection for night environments. The journalist asks about this.

• The night is a crucial element of the narrative of your films. Stefan, the main character of Here, is an insomne. What intrigues you most about the night?

• I am very interested in how perception and experienced experience can be altered and changed once you move towards the night. In fact, there are two dreams or dream sequences in the movie, but I never consciously treated them as long as I wrote. I was more interested in the poetic image of someone who cannot sleep and is lost at night. While wandering through the streets, the mind also begins to see things already alter them unconsciously, surprising us in strange ways. Think, for example, in the way someone can read some signs just because they are not well illuminated. Everything becomes a trick of the mind at a certain stage and you see things that are not really there. In my opinion, this altered condition of perception and the senses is incredibly cinematographic. Without thinking too much, it is something that I try to entertain in my films because I like the balance between reality and a deeply subjective or expanded sensation of it, a reality that changes, which is fluid and changes before our eyes. I like to think that dreams or nightmares are real, and a movie for me is a way of making them feel real. That is something that drives me.

Throughout the film, sudden cuts are produced, in which it is traveling from some planes to others without an apparent relationship. Devos understands that cinema is like literature, and the same thing that in a book we read a page with a specific atmosphere, the next page does not have to be related to the previous one. But before the director speaks about it, the journalist asks her around Dream atmosphere It occurs in some scenes of the film, specifically refers to the talk of the two brothers in the hospital.

• There is a wonderful sequence in which the protagonist meets his sister at night in the hospital cafeteria where he works and, suddenly, we are in a forest. It suns, but it also rains, and the camera slides in a high and sophisticated way, in the air and back to the earth. After a sudden cut, Stefan tells his sister: "I'm sorry, I fell asleep ..." This sequence says a lot in terms of a dream reality in here. Do you agree?

• Yes, absolutely! I wrote a scene in the hospital, the workplace of the protagonist's sister. He had the idea that Stefan would ask him to speak and then fall asleep because he wants her to talk, to calm down and get out of her own thoughts. I imagined, what happens if she tells a story that is not a story at all? What if he talks about the forest? Instead of saying: "Oh, the hospital is so full and there are so many patients!", She said: "The rain falls and we are in a forest and shines the sun ..." and then I thought I just wanted to turn all this into a specific image and film a dream sequence on the trees. His story and his dream somehow mix and become something else.

• There are many cuts in the assembly that lead us abruptly from one place to another; The fact that we are suddenly in a forest, it seemed very natural.

• That was what I expected, but I can imagine that many people would read this sequence in retrospect as a kind of dream, while for me, it was simply pleasant to jump from a hospital at night to a strange forest during the day. Much of my pleasure while making a movie comes from this type of thoughts. Making an analogy between literature and cinema, a good cut for me is like when you pass a page of a book. Imagine a beautiful phrase at the end of a chapter, then pass the page and there is a new phrase, a new image and a new chapter. A good cut is like spending a page and starting a new chapter. I hope it works in the movie!

In line with the above, most of the blueprints shot in the movie, they are made with a Fixed, static camera. Bas devos He argues that he does not need to move the camera capriciously, and even if he had more means, he would roll it again.

• You mainly use static planes, which, as you just said, have the feeling of "a page."

• Me resulta muy difícil pensar en el movimiento de una cámara si no entiendo por qué la cámara se mueve. A menudo, solo hay una razón dinámica para que la cámara se mueva. Cuando un personaje está caminando, siempre es muy agradable si la cámara ajusta su tempo a la figura que camina. Luego, por supuesto, hay pasos más poéticos en los que un movimiento de cámara realmente puede transportarnos y donde se vuelve significativo porque muchas otras tomas son, de hecho, estables. Pero en general, mientras veo películas, a menudo no entiendo por qué la cámara se comporta de la manera en que lo hace. Siempre quiero hacerlo lo más simple posible, como un decoupage, en cierto modo. Si quiero acercarme, porque hay algo que quiero ver más cerca, entonces hago un primer plano y si, por el contrario, me parece interesante entender el contexto, me quedaré a cierta distancia. Hay un cierto desarrollo en el uso de los movimientos de cámara en mis películas, pero hay una especie de, digamos, alegría continua al encontrar un marco hermoso o, más precisamente, el marco correcto. Una vez que encuentro el encuadre correcto, si no siento una razón para que la cámara se mueva, no creo que la cámara deba moverse. Incluso si tuviera todo el dinero del mundo y una grúa a mano, o algo por el estilo, todavía no lo usaría porque creo que un movimiento de cámara es el momento en que una cámara está imponiendo una cierta narrativa, ya sea una narrativa emocional o simplemente está agregando un aspecto adicional a una escena. A menudo siento que no necesito eso y, por lo tanto, incluso si tuviera los medios, seguiría manteniendo el marco estático.

It is true that the camera remains static in a good part of the scenes and planes of the film, and very at ground level when taking the mosses plans, because as he said well Devos, he went down to the ground to discover the tiny mosses and herbs, which previously went unnoticed, until he discovered this tiny world that orbits both forests and in parts of the city. However, it is also true that Some camera movements occur, on the walks, as explained Devos, among which it includes on more than one occasion, some very beautiful counterpart of the treetops.

The sound in the movie Play a fundamental role. Both urban noises and the natural elements present in the city are recorded, including the song of the birds and the whisper of the wind. This sound dimension charges special relevance when the characters enter the forest.

• During the conversations, the ambient sound remains low, creating a very intimate atmosphere; In addition, you use only a few musical scores. How did you work in the sound landscape of the film?

• I find it very nice when silence is made in a movie theater, when I am surrounded by many people and we are seeing this giant screen, the light that falls on it and then remains silent and we can hear all the details. There is something very attractive in it. I like the fact that, instead of the image, it is the sound in the first place that makes you aware of the fact that you are not seeing this alone. For me, sensitivity and intimacy also increase with your immediate environment. I have always tried to reproduce this type of sensation in my films. When I made my first movie, I remember seeing a boy who came to the projection with a large cube of corn popcorn. At the end of the movie, I still had a cube full of corn popcorn. He did not dare to eat it because he would have made too much noise. It seemed very nice. It meant that he was really aware of his own presence during the film, which does not happen so often. We often feel overwhelmed by the image and sound, for the idea of ​​an immersive experience, which is something that I also enjoy, but it really moves me when, suddenly, I realize my own presence. A "quiet" movie has this immediate effect for the public, I suppose.

As for the extradiegetic music, it is pointed out with some Very subtle musical brushstrokes, composed of Brecht Ameel. For example, Shuxiu, reveals that its color is "green", And Brecht, composes a very beautiful piece, for that moment.

Special mention deserves photography. The person in charge, Grimm Vandekerckhove, perform a truly remarkable job, as the difficulty of showing in the most faithful way possible was added, The tiny nature of mosses.

Regarding the Directorate of actors, Devos makes them Interpreters act naturally, similar to how anyone's common person would, even incorporating some characters that are not professional actors. Bas devos It offers a more detailed explanation in another interview. On this occasion, Leonardo Goi It is the one who interviews our director in Film comment (full interview here).

• Could you talk to us about the Directorate of Actors? Do you expect them to follow the script to the letter or leave enough space for improvisation?

• No hay una respuesta única porque creo que cambia de un actor a otro, y de una escena a otra. Aquí, la escena en la que Stefan y Liyo se conocen por primera vez en el restaurante chino es una especie de híbrido. El comienzo es todo improvisación, porque quería que Stefan hablara libremente y tropezara si tenía que hacerlo. Para la última sección, quería algo más guionizado. Stefan no es un actor completamente entrenado, y Liyo nunca antes había estado en una pantalla: es editora de cine y ha trabajado con Wang Bing, entre otros. Pero trabajar con ellos fue muy agradable: ambos eran muy generosos y no tenían miedo. Aun así, hay momentos, especialmente cuando se trabaja con actores no profesionales que tienen mucho miedo a la cámara, cuando el ensayo se convierte en una sesión de terapia, y me encuentro tranquilizándolos. Por ejemplo, Alina Constantin, la mujer que interpreta a la hermana de Stefan, Anca: es una señora de la limpieza en la vida real, y para mí fue el mayor descubrimiento de la película. Es increíble, y está muy a gusto. Pero no tengo un método, estrictamente hablando. Hablo mucho con mis actores, y una vez que se sienten cómodos, a menudo salen cosas hermosas. Puede haber momentos en los que te des cuenta de que hay límites que no puedes superar. Es natural; Después de todo, la cámara es un arma, y apuntar a alguien y esperar que actúe con naturalidad no solo es paradójico, es un acto violento.

The soup component plays a role in socialization, since by sharing the soup you have prepared, Stefan strengthens your friendship ties with Cedric, the members of the workshop, their sister and Shuxiu. In addition, the distribution of the soup Symbolizes the return to the home of origin of Stefan, which, as it tells us Devos, was the initial base of the film (in the previous interview, it was inquired about the origin of the film, highlighting that its initial base was emigration. However, this time, soup is mentioned as a form of address the issue of emigration in a less painful way.).

• What was the initial spark that led you to write?

• The soup! [laughs] I felt overwhelmed by this idea of ​​the history of migration; There was so much weight and so much violence behind. I didn't know what to do with him. But something that was repeated a lot in my conversations with the Romanians that I met in Brussels was their unwavering belief that one day everyone would return home, that they would build a house in Romania and retire there. That is something that differentiates them from other migrant communities in the city; For them, being in Brussels is just a temporary state, regardless of the ties they have developed. A symbol of that for me was the refrigerator: empty and turn off the refrigerator before leaving a long trip. That triggered the idea that Stefan used all his leftovers to make a soup. Once I had that, I knew I had found my first scene.

In conclusion, and to avoid excessively extending the article, it is important to note that, at first, it might seem unbelievable that a worker and a biologist could establish a connection with each other. Stefan, a emigrant who does not finish locating in a foreign city And that as initially raises, He suggests that his return to Romania could be definitive. In this sense, Bas devos It addresses the issue of exile without excessive drama, presenting the conflict in a subtle and natural way. On the other hand, Shuxiu, although it comes from a family of emigrants, it is a consolidated biologist who dedicates himself with passion to the study of mosses, dedicating hours of work to this activity and making excursions through the forest in his free days. However, A sense of loneliness is also perceived in it That seems to have prolonged over time, since his only social interaction is limited to his students and his aunt, with whom he shares a small business.

The apparent complexity of the connection between two individuals that seem to be opposite can be facilitated by nature. Stefan, who has a deep affinity for the forest, a place that evokes his childhood memories, meets Shuxiu, who considers that environment as a true paradise. The moss, one of the oldest and resilient plants on the planet, It acts as a link between these two characters that seek emotional support to rediscover the meaning of their lives. Besides, The soup becomes a symbol that strengthens its relationship.

The creation of Bas devos It stands out as a refuge in a cinematographic environment saturated with tense works, evoking universal emotions that are both simple and authentic. The images presented offer an indispensable serenity and calm to flee from daily noise. In its essence, invites to sit and contemplate, like the characters, valuing the beauty of the simple and the small, such as herbs and mosses.

You can enjoy the movie in Filmin.