05/05/2026
𝑫𝑬𝑴𝑶, an experimental shortfilm debut made by Kris Verdonck Blending elements of silent cinema, slapstick and contemporary vlog culture, 𝑫𝑬𝑴𝑶 constructs a world where the line between fantasy and harsh reality blur.
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲?
The Brussels canal zone is changing, gentrifying, the rough edges vanish. 𝑫𝑬𝑴𝑶 is both an absurdist portrait of an artist on the edge and a melancholic document of a city that no longer has space for certain, unemployed figures.
Days are dominated by an existential boredom, fought like any social media fanatic, by filming himself while performing stunts for an audience that doesn't exist. The performer's urge to entertain grows increasingly extreme, bitter, and dangerous. Pushing toward the absurd and the suicidal, though cartoon characters never truly die.
ᴄʀᴇᴅɪᴛꜱ:
ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴘᴛ & ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ: .verdonck
ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀᴛᴜʀɢʏ: Kristof van Baarle
ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴇʀ:
ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄɪᴀɴ: Michael Schmid .ictus
ᴄᴏꜱᴛᴜᴍᴇꜱ: An Breugelmans, Eefje Wijnings, Karolien Nuyttens, Stephanie Becquet
ᴄᴀᴍᴇʀᴀ: Vincent Pinckaers
ᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴍᴀɴᴀɢᴇʀ: Erik Lambert
ᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ: A Two Dogs Company
ᴄᴏᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ: Quetzalcoatl & Shelterprod
ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ ᴏꜰ: (VAF) & .be (incentive of the Belgian federal government)