20th Century Women
118'
USA
IFFR 2017
Belgian TV series are on the rise, with titles like The Break (2016, French) or Bevergem (2015, IFFR 2016, Flemish) representing a new generation of writers and directors coming straight from the world of film and envisioning the episodic format as a fruitful experiment. Beau Séjour is the Flemish response to Nordic Noir.
Kato, a young girl, wakes up at the Beau Séjour hotel without any memory of the previous night. She slowly realizes that people can’t see or hear her – apart from a few. Beau Séjour twists the thriller genre by having the dead victim lead the investigation. It exploits its ghost element to the full, with dark humour and poignant moments, such as when Kato can only communicate with distant acquaintances and not family members. In a wintery atmosphere, actress Lynn Van Royen plays both sides of Kato’s role with finesse – disturbed investigator and symbol of invisible youth that 'grownups' won’t listen to.
Season 1, episodes 1 and 2.
IFFR 2017