ARTISTS IN FOCUS
Une école belge de l’étrange
As part of the initiative to digitize and promote French-speaking Belgian cinema, supported by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles and the European project NextGenerationEU, CINEMATEK digitized the series Les Contes fantastiques (also known as Une école belge de l’étrange) in 2025.
Based on an original concept by Jean Delire, producer Pierre Levie proposed that the RTB (the future RTBF) create a series of short films centered on Belgian fantastic literature, which was distinguished at the time by its remarkable authors. Initially, the series was to be titled Les Récits de l’armure cassée—a name that still leaves its mark on the pilot episode, Jean Delire’s La Choucroute. This film gained significant recognition at the 6th National Belgian Film Festival in Antwerp in 1964, providing the momentum needed for the official launch of the series, with additional support from the Ministry of National Education and French Culture.
Produced between 1963 and 1968, the episodes were adapted from tales written by masters of the genre, primarily Thomas Owen and Jean Ray. For the sake of narrative clarity, Levie decided to include a brief introduction to each episode, with the films being presented alternately by two towering figures of Belgian culture: Jacques Brel and Maurice Béjart.
On April 16th, CINEMATEK invites you to explore the intersection of cinema and the "golden age" of 20th-century Belgian fantastic literature.
All films will be presented in new digital versions (DCP) created by CINEMATEK, made possible through NextGenerationEU funding and the support of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.
Friday 17.04 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
Wednesday 22.04 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
Sunday 26.04 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
Une école belge de l’étrange
L’Homme qui osa
- Jean Delire, Belgium 1965 ⁄ Christian Barbier, Quentin Milo Litinsky, Fernand Léance ⁄ B&W ⁄ 33' ⁄ V: FR ⁄ ST - OND: —
Les Gardiens
- Christian Mesnil, Belgium 1967 ⁄ Jean Musin, Guy Leclercq ⁄ B&W ⁄ 27' ⁄ V: FR ⁄ ST - OND: —
Friday 24.04 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
Monday 27.04 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
Friday 01.05 20:15 PLATEAU Cart
Une école belge de l’étrange
Noces de plumes
- Patrick Ledoux, Belgium 1968 ⁄ Edmond Bernhard, Laeticia Dufer, Max Renard, Emile Verhoeren ⁄ B&W ⁄ 27' ⁄ V: FR ⁄ ST - OND: —
Ultra, je t’aime
- Patrick Ledoux, Belgium 1967 ⁄ Frédéric Latin, Paul Louka ⁄ B&W ⁄ 32' ⁄ V: FR ⁄ ST - OND: —
Wednesday 29.04 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
Sunday 03.05 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
Wednesday 06.05 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
Sunday 10.05 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
Wednesday 13.05 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
Saturday 16.05 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
Friday 15.05 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
Tuesday 19.05 18:00 PLATEAU Cart
Thursday 21.05 20:00 PLATEAU Cart
Une école belge de l’étrange
La Maison des cigognes
- Louis Verlant, Émile-Georges De Meyst, Belgium 1966 ⁄ Louis Verlant, Gil Lagay, Monique Verlay ⁄ B&W ⁄ 27' ⁄ V: FR ⁄ ST - OND: —
Les Gardiens
- Christian Mesnil, Belgium 1967 ⁄ Jean Musin, Guy Leclercq ⁄ B&W ⁄ 27' ⁄ V: FR ⁄ ST - OND: —
Thursday 16.04 19:00 LEDOUX Cart
Lectures, introductions, workshops...
Restored
Une école belge de l’étrange
CONFÉRENCE
Littérature et cinéma fantastiques en Belgique
- Louise Van Brabant - Françoise Levie - Catherine Gravet ⁄ Cinéfiltres - NextGenerationEU - Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles ⁄ FR ⁄ 60 ⁄ FREE ADMISSION
Le nouveau rendez-vous RESTORED est l’occasion de présenter la littérature fantastique belge et ses différentes adaptations pour le petit et le grand écran, en deux temps. D’abord une conversation entre Catherine Gravet, spécialiste de la littérature belge, autrice et vicedoyenne au Service d’Études françaises et francophones de l’Université de Mons, Françoise Levie, productrice et réalisatrice, et Louise Van Brabant, autrice et essayiste. Ensuite, la projection des courts métrages La Choucroute (nouvelle de Jean Ray adaptée par Jean Delire) et Le Voyageur (nouvelle de Thomas Owen adaptée par Françoise Levie).
Thursday 16.04 20:30 LEDOUX Cart
Restored
Une école belge de l’étrange
Fantasy literature and cinema in Belgium : Restored
Lectures, introductions, workshops...
La Choucroute
- Jean Delire, Belgium 1964 ⁄ Maurice Schwilden, Jacques Lippe, Fernand Léance ⁄ B&W ⁄ 29' ⁄ V: FR ⁄ ST - OND: —
Le Voyageur
- Françoise Levie, Belgium 1967 ⁄ Sonia Servais, Olivier de Saedeleere ⁄ B&W ⁄ 29' ⁄ V: FR ⁄ ST - OND: —
Digitised versions by CINEMATEK (DCP).
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