Brussels by Night
Brussels by Night is a Belgian drama film from 1983, directed by former Humo journalist Marc Didden. The low budget picture was financed partly by Herman Schueremans, organizer of the Flemish rock festival Rock Werchter. The film was named after a 1979 song by Raymond van het Groenewoud, who also wrote the soundtrack for the movie.Brussels by Night was important in Belgian film history because its bleak, grey atmosphere and stream of consciousness structure were a sharp contrast with the more conventional films the country produced up to then.
Brussels by Night is a Belgian drama film from 1983, directed by former Humo journalist Marc Didden. The low budget picture was financed partly by Herman Schueremans, organizer of the Flemish rock festival Rock Werchter. The film was named after a 1979 song by Raymond van het Groenewoud, who also wrote the soundtrack for the movie.Brussels by Night was important in Belgian film history because its bleak, grey atmosphere and stream of consciousness structure were a sharp contrast with the more conventional films the country produced up to then.

Plot
Brussels 1983. Max is seriously depressed. He tries to commit suicide by sticking a gun in his mouth, but when the gun jams, he cries. We follow him as he travels through Brussels without any goal and provokes everyone he meets. His mood changes at the most unpredictable moments. Max meets two people, Alice, a bar keeper, and Abdel, her customer of Moroccan descent. Both men fancy Alice as their mistress. The climax of the story takes place on the Ronquières inclined plane.

Cast
François Beukelaers as Max
Johan Joos as station assistant
Mariette Mathieu as lady in train
Daniël van Avermaet as taxi chauffeur
Michiel Mentens as Louis
Nellie Rosiers as Josephine-Charlotte
Marleen Merckx as waitress
Ingrid de Vos as Alice
Amid Chakir as Abdel
Bernard van Eeghem as night club bouncer
Jan Reussens as receptionist
Fred van Kuyk as Jules
Machteld Ramoudt as Sister Alice
Liliane de Waegeneer as ecologist at party
Paul Pauwels as blonde boy at party
Jim van Leemput as parking meter man
Josse de Pauw as man in laundrette
Jaak Pijpen as guide in Ronquières
Ronny Waterschoot as police officer
Guy Mortier as assistant-judge
Senne Rouffaer as judge
Brendan Fonteyne as son of Max
Fransceska Buelens as wife of Max

Awards
1980: Staatsprijs for Best Script
1983: Best Debut Filmfestival of San Sebastian
1983: Silver trophy Spanish Federation of Ciné-Clubs at the Filmfestival of San Sebastian
1983: André Cavens Prijs: Best Belgian film (Belgische Unie van de Filmkritiek)
1984: 'Outstanding Film of the Year' Filmfestival of Londen

References
External links
Brussels by Night at IMDb 
MovieMeter: Brussels by Night (1983)
De Standaard, 10 januari 2004: Brussels by Night