Sad In Country (Part 1) covers six Belgian collectives : Agency (Brussels, 1992). Building Underwood (Brussels / Caudiès, 1999-2001), VAGA, A379089 (Antwerp, 1968-1969), Rona Family (Brussels), Club Moral (Antwerp, 1981-2005).

Interviewees : Kobe Matthys (artist, Agency), Kasper Koenig (Director of Ludwig Museum, Köln, A 379089) Anny De Decker & Bernd Lohaus (Wide White Space Gallery, Antwerp), Isi Fiszman (collector, VAGA, A 379089) , Danny Devos & Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven (artists, Club Moral), Anne Marie, Stéphan & Elisabeth Rona (Galerie Les Contemporains, Revue +-0, Brussels), Jacques Ambach (artist), Simona Denicolai (artist, Building Underwood), Ivo Provoost (artist, Building Underwood), David Evrard (artist, Building Underwood).

Produced by More Talent Than Space & Komplot
Supported by Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF)

SYNOPSIS

Belgium is a country well noted for its 'vagueness' and taking this into account, this Belgian film delves into the world of 'quasi' cultural forms. One of the vaguest notions in the cultural lexicon is that of the 'collective' and this film explores, through a non hierarchical system of montage, collective art actions in Belgium and their intersection with dominant and subcultural political and cultural ideologies that brushed against them.

The film is neither an obituary for cultural idealism nor a bittersweet tale of Utopian dreams of a 'better way of life' but a series of encounters raising questions about the collective archetypes which emerged during its research and shooting : ranging from micro-institution, family, enterprise, political party to the orgy. “Is it alive, or is it dead?” is what Alain Resnais stated was the only question worth asking in art and thus this film uses its medium as a tool of research to consider the worth and the worthlessness of history.

Screenings: 

Wiels, Brussels, 21st January 2009

Rencontres International Festval, Paris, 28th November - 7th December 2008

'Error 1', Extra City, Antwerp, 24th April - 10th May 2008

'Memory Is A Motherfucker', Rotterdam Film Festival, 31st January 2008

Your-Space, Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven, 17th January 2008

SECONDroom, Brussels, 9th January 2008

Laboratoire d'ondes, Antwerpen, 6th December 2007
Exground Film Festival, Wiesbaden, 24th November 2007
Changing Room Gallery, Stirling, 8th September 2007
HISK, Ghent, 4th July 2007
Netwerk, Aalst, June 9th 2007
Kijkavond, Extrapool, Nijmegen, 17th May 2007
Rozalb de Mura, Bucharest, 12th - 26th May 2007
Desant Theatre, Bucharest, 10th May 2007
Avant-Premiere, Galerie Jan Mot, Brussels, 7th March 2007

Club Moral