Kristien Hemmerechts

Do we still sing the praises of folly like Erasmus, or is it trendy again to be smart? And if so, who is the smartest? Who can talk about the medals won at the Olympic Games in London, but at the same time knows who Captain Haddock is? Who knows whether Lacan was a hair growth product or a psychoanalyst and can also program their own digital television? Who has déjà vu when leafing through the Encyclopedia Britannica and when reading the interviews with the new Miss Waregem Koerse? Who, oh who, is the smartest person in Flanders, Belgium, Europe, and by extension, the world? That is determined by a fierce battle between three fellow human beings. Every day, someone is eliminated, someone who may not be the smartest, but who is perhaps cherished in their family circle because of their many other talents. The others advance and are joined by a new challenger every day.

“There Is No Path” follows legendary director Heddy Honigmann on a real and spiritual journey. Today, facing a terminal illness, she will travel to her country of birth, Peru and through Europe revisiting all the important places and moments of her life, richly illustrated with clips of her films. Is it a farewell journey in which she lets go of her family, her loved ones and her work? Or is it a celebration of life? Her travelling companion is taxi driver Hussein, a refugee from Iraq with whom Heddy has a tight bond. As they trace Heddy’s family history they find many common themes. They are no longer taxi driver and customer, but two souls who each find joy in life in the face of adversity. It is a life affirming film about universal connection and comfort.

An documentary on the freedom of art in the Netherlands by Gerard Reves. Reve sets out to defend the freedom of art against angry constituents.