The Shadow Workers
by Annelein Pompe
Synopsis
In Ghent, a Dutch Good-for-nothing works in a honey store. She would have liked to live the life of an artist, but that fate is not hers. After all, you have to eat and pay the rent. The Dutch Good-for-nothing has a friend across the street, Usman, a Pakistani poet and pigeon lover. At night, when the people and pigeons are asleep, Usman works in his night store. There is also Clara (Clara Spilliaert), who lives in the Dutch Good-for-nothing’s dream, and the two all-knowing experts, Geert and Francesco. Geert photographs the eyes of pigeons and Francesco whispers in their ears. In The Shadow Workers, this whole story is told by a pigeon who listens to the name Lukaku. Lukaku may be a scatterbrain and never have been able to fly, but he knows a lot about these hidden workers also called artists.
Credits
Script and direction : Annelein Pompe
Camera and sound : Annelein Pompe
Editing : Pierre de Bellefroid
Sound : Achilles Van Den Abeele
Music : Bart Hoevenaars
Mixing : Jürgen De Blonde
Color : Miléna Trivier
Animation : Juliano Bonamigo Ferreira de Souza
Producer : Looking @ the Crossroads, Dany Deprez and Lotte Van Craeynest
Coproducer : Graphoui, Ellen Meiresonne
A Looking @ the Crossroads production, in coproduction with Atelier Graphoui, SIC – Son Image Culture and VAF.
A film developed in the framework of SIC.
Festivals
Art Cinema OFFoff, Gent (BE), 04/23
BAFF – Brussels Art Film Festival, Bruxelles (BE) 11/22
Film by the Sea Vlissingen (NL) 09/22
Cinema Nova Bruxelles (BE), 06/22
Bozar, Bruxelles (BE) 02/22
DOK Leipzig, Leipzig (DE), 10/21
More information
Year : 2021
Duration : 47’
Languages : French, Dutch, English
Subtitles : French, Dutch, English
Film page : http://www.graphoui.org/2014/?p=2449
Trailer : https://vimeo.com/486139451
Film critic by Anne Feuillère in FR (fev, 2022)