Belgica (film)

The movie is based upon a true story and revolves around a group of friends trying to run a bar where rock bands come to play.

When the adjacent warehouse is on sale, Frank convinces Jo to buy it, to convert it into a dance hall and to restyle “Belgica”.

To get the money, Frank sells the shares of his own company, but due to a cashflow issue his business partner can only pay a small part of it, but they have an oral agreement the remaining sum will follow in a few months.

The inspector gives a permission for a maximum total of 80 persons as there is only one legal emergency exit which ends up in a narrow alley.

His ulterior motive is to deny access to riots, people from the lower class, ... resulting in the rejection of many regular customers.

Many of the events in the film actually did happen: many of the employees were friends, the adjacent house was turned over in a dance room, professional security staff was hired (in this case with the intention to prohibit access to drug addicts),... .

[7] The soundtrack consists of 15 pieces of music by Soulwax, a band formed by the Dewaele brothers from Ghent, composed specifically for the movie.

[8] Soulwax composed music of different styles for each of the sixteen fictional bands that performed at the club in the movie.

[8] Shortly after, Netflix acquired global distribution rights to the film, excluding select territories.

[13] Van Groeningen won the Best Director prize in the World Cinema Dramatic section at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Van Groeningen catches the ebb and flow of [the brothers' success] in a very fluid way, synching up dramatic and mood shifts with apt musical choices that make the film a sensual pleasure.