22nd of May (2010)
"22 mei" (original title)

A bomb explodes in a shopping mall. Sam the security agent tries to save the victims, but at the end he runs off. Later he encounters all the people he saved. They all think that somehow he is responsible for what happened.

Director:

Koen Mortier

Writer:

Koen Mortier

Stars:

François Beukelaers, Sam Louwyck, Wim Willaert

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
François Beukelaers	...	Salesman
Sam Louwyck	...	Sam
Wim Willaert	...	Wim
Norman Baert	...	Norman
Jan Hammenecker	...	Jan
Titus De Voogdt	...	Nico Degeest
Gunter Lamoot	...	Gunter
Barbara Callewaert	...	Sandra Lauwaert
Tristan Versteven	...	Tristan
Bernadette Damman	...	Homeless woman
Sebastien Dewaele	...	Sebastien
Steffi Peeters	...	Steffi
David Ameye	...	Friend steffi
Mireille Verboomen	...	Wife Jan
Adida Clabaut	...	Daughter Sam

Storyline

Sam wakes up, gets ready and goes to do his daily job. And then the unexpected happens. A bomb explodes in the center of the shopping mall where he works. He drags himself towards the entrance to save the victims. One by one he pulls them out, until something terrible takes place. In complete hysteria he runs off till he falls down from exhaustion. A woman's voice makes him raise his head. She's one of the victims he saved. She wants to know why the suicide bomber did it. This encounter projects him back in history and even in a surreal world. Thereafter he runs into everyone he saved and feels that their defeat shows many parallels with his own. Even his confrontation with the wrongdoer isn't that straightforward as he thought it would be and confronts him with the fact that guilt and innocence can be pretty much alike.

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Plot Keywords:

grief | innocence | explosion | guilt | suicide bomber | 

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Taglines:

How your life can change in the blink of an eye.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [be]

Country:

Belgium Netherlands

Language:

Dutch French

Release Date:

17 November 2010 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

22nd of May

Company Credits

Production Co:

CCCP, IJswater Films, Revolver Films

Technical Specs

Color:

Color (35 mm version) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Midnight Movie Review: 22nd of May (2011)

User Reviews

Not punk rock!

If you have seen the "Ex Drummer" (the directors previous movie) and go into this movie with certain expectations, you will be disappointed. While the other one was punk rock at it's finest, this is more to the tune of classical music. I'm talking about the pace here. Even the storytelling seems "ancient" (if you want to call it that) and very slow moving overall.

But is that necessarily a bad thing? I don't think so. While I did expect something else I was intrigued by this movie. Not enough to really like it (it could have done with a faster pace), but it is Art House that is as silent as it is loud. You will understand when you watch it (if you watch it that is). The movie has great cinematography and a great lead actor. And it has a feeling to it, that you can't really describe. But it's also not commercially accessible