Meeuwen sterven in de haven

Some films mark history; others transform it. In 1956, MEEUWEN STERVEN IN DE HAVEN (SEAGULLS DIE IN THE HARBOUR) became the very first Belgian feature film to be selected for the official competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Seventy years after that historic milestone, this cult masterpiece returns to the big screen in a brand-new 4K restoration by CINEMATEK.

Carried by the magnetic charisma of Julien Schoenaerts and the grace of the iconic Dora van der Groen, MEEUWEN STERVEN IN DE HAVEN is a melancholic wander through the dark corners of the cosmopolitan port city of Antwerp. With their expressionist aesthetic and jazz soundtrack, directors Roland Verhavert, Ivo Michiels and Rik Kuypers created a radical work that is now regarded as one of the absolute cornerstones of Belgian cinema.

This pessimistic urban drama, accompanied by a musical score by Jack Sels and Max Damasse, unfolds in stark, expressionistically lit black-and-white images. It follows the wanderings of a tormented man (Schoenaerts). The only people who offer him solace are an orphan and two disillusioned women.

The film’s intelligent use of symbolism is evident in its portrayal of desolate industrial sites, abandoned docks, grimy poor neighbourhoods, and imposing modern buildings. Influenced by the poetic realism of pre-war French cinema, this sultry blend of drama and thriller exudes a unique expressive power.