Gods of Molenbeek

Synopsis

The Molenbeek district of Brussels. A hellhole or jihadi capital to some, home sweet home to the 6 year-old boys Aatos and Amine. This is where they listen to the sound of spiders, discover black holes and quarrel over who gets to command the flying carpet that is to take them to the lands of their ancestors. They live in the same building, yet come from radically different worlds. Finland meets Morocco, atheism gently rubs shoulders with islam. Aatos’ en Amine’s gods are manyfold, invented or otherwise. They bring about playful theological discussions until the Brussels terrorist attacks rip a diverse yet harmonious world apart.

Armed soldiers patrol the streets now, candles are lit in commemoration and bedtime stories evoke images of bodies blown to pieces. The two boys are searching for meaning and imagine being the last survivors, the strongest of them all. Until an expected twist reshapes their lives for good.

Gods of Molenbeek is a movie about friendship, loyalty, prophets and identity. And above all, about the ties that bind.

Awards

Audience Award – DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival 2019, Helsinki Finland

Critic’s choice Award – DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival 2019, Helsinki Finland

Human Rights Dox, Dokufest International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2019

Golden Lynx Best Documentary Feature, FEST New Directors/New Films Festival 2019, Portugal

Nominee Audience Award – Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival 2019

Nominee Creative Recognition Award,  International Documentary Association 2019

Best Documentary Film, Jussi Awards 2020, Finland

Moral Approach Award & Young Onion Award, MakeDox Creative Documentary Film Festival 2019– Skopje, Macedonia

Nominee Oslo Grand Prix Oslo Pix 2019, Oslo Norway

Special Mention “A different Tomorrow”, Reykjavik International Film Festival 2019, Iceland

Nominee Grand Prix, Sakhalin International Film Festival 2019, Russia

Winner Church Media Foundation Prize Tampere Film Festival 2019 Finland

Winner Special Prize Tampere Film Festival 2019, Finland

Winner Finnish Short Film Over 30 Minutes Tampere Film Festival 2019, Finland

Nominee Big Stamp International Competition, ZagrebDox 2020, Croatia

Credits

Writer & Director
Reetta Huhtanen
Producer
Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen
Co-producer
Hanne Phlypo
Alex Tondowski
Director of photography
Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen
Editor
Jamin Benazzouz
Sound engineer
Bert Aerts
Mixer
Senjan Jansen

Partners

Zone 2 Pictures

Tondowski Films

CANVAS / VRT

RTBF

Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds

De Mens.nu

Koning Boudewijnstichting

Dalton

J.E.F.

Casa Kafka

The Finnish Film Foundation

AVEK

YLE

NDR

Hartley Film Foundation

Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein

The Church Media Foundation

CAT & Docs