Documentary backdrop image for EXPRMNTL (2016)

Documentary backdrop image for EXPRMNTL (2016)

201665 minPGdocumentary

EXPRMNTL

201665 minPGdocumentary

A side program featuring surrealist, dadaist, and abstract films in 1949 evolved into the 'EXPRMNTL' festival, celebrating experimental cinema in Knokke, Belgium.

Genres

Director

Brecht Debackere

Synopsis

A side program featuring surrealist, dadaist, and abstract films in 1949 evolved into the 'EXPRMNTL' festival, celebrating experimental cinema in Knokke, Belgium.

People

Brecht Debackere

Brecht Debackeredirector

Brecht Debackere

Brecht Debackerewriter

Jonas Mekas

Jonas Mekascast

Agnès Varda

Agnès Vardacast

Harun Farocki

Harun Farockicast

Synopsis

Knokke, Belgium, hosted the second ‘World Festival of Film and the Arts’ in 1949, organized in part by the Royal Cinematheque of Belgium. To mark cinema's 50th anniversary, a side program featured various forms of film, including surrealist and dadaist works. This initiative evolved into ‘EXPRMNTL’, a festival dedicated to experimental cinema. The event became a significant gathering for avant-garde filmmakers, shaping the future of the medium and influencing artistic expression.

Awards & Festivals

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

My Life in Retro (2026)

My Life in Retro

Belgian couple Hebe and Henk exemplify a growing trend of retro enthusiasts who immerse themselves in the styles and lifestyles of the 1920s and 1930s.

My Life in Retro

SPA: Still The Best F1 Track Ever Made (2024)

SPA: Still The Best F1 Track Ever Made

The Belgian Grand Prix has been held at Spa-Francorchamps since 1924, making it one of the oldest and most storied circuits in Formula 1 history.

SPA: Still The Best F1 Track Ever Made

Right-wing thinking in a flamish suburb (Belgium) (2021)

Right-wing thinking in a flamish suburb (Belgium)

In a Flemish suburb, right-wing populism thrives in predominantly white neighborhoods, reflecting the broader trends of cultural isolation in Western Europe.

Right-wing thinking in a flamish suburb (Belgium)

Building Nice: Where Masterpieces Rose from the Mediterranean Shores (2025)

Building Nice: Where Masterpieces Rose from the Mediterranean Shores

In the seaside city of Nice, architectural masterpieces like the Hotel Negresco, St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral, and Fort du Mont Alban showcase the city's rich history and innovative construction techniques.

Building Nice: Where Masterpieces Rose from the Mediterranean Shores

Explore EXPRMNTL

Trailer People Awards FAQ Stream

Where else to watch

Cannes, le festival libre (2018)

Cannes, le festival libre

2018•51m•★7.9TMDB

The Cannes Film Festival first took place from September 20 to October 5, 1946, marking the beginning of its significant role in the film industry.

Cannes, le festival libre

The Sound of Belgium (2012)

The Sound of Belgium

2012•1h25m•★7.7TMDB

Belgium's electronic dance music scene is explored through its evolution from grand dance halls and Decap organs to the New Beat movement of the late 1980s.

The Sound of Belgium

Painting with Falls (1997)

Painting with Falls

1997•1h42m•★5.8TMDB

Belgium in the late 1990s questions how rapidly changing visuals in art influence attention and shape perceptions of reality.

Painting with Falls

Boulogne-Billancourt - Le temps des studios (2020)

Boulogne-Billancourt - Le temps des studios

2020•56m•★8.0TMDB

Since 1922, over 1,000 films have been produced at the Boulogne-Billancourt cinema studios, a key site in the history of French cinema.

Boulogne-Billancourt - Le temps des studios

Born to Film (2004)

Born to Film

2004•1h3m•★5.7TMDB

Real bullets are used in small-scale war films created by projectionist Max Naveaux, with permission from the Belgian Ministry of Defense.

Doel (2018)

Doel

2018•1h7m•★5.5TMDB

26 residents remain in the ghost town of Doel, Belgium, resisting government plans to demolish their homes for a container park since the 1960s.

Browse more like this

Right-wing thinking in a flamish suburb (Belgium) (2021)

Right-wing thinking in a flamish suburb (Belgium)

In a Flemish suburb, right-wing populism thrives in predominantly white neighborhoods, reflecting the broader trends of cultural isolation in Western Europe.

Right-wing thinking in a flamish suburb (Belgium)

No digital watch option in your country

Venice 70: Future Reloaded (2013)

Venice 70: Future Reloaded

2013•2h•★5.0TMDB

Seventy filmmakers contribute short films of 60 to 90 seconds each, reflecting their visions of the future of cinema during the Venice Film Festival's 70th anniversary.

Venice 70: Future Reloaded

Hollywood on the river Scheldt (2018)

Hollywood on the river Scheldt

2018•1h59m•★7.0TMDB

The Scheldt River in Belgium has served as a backdrop for numerous film productions, influencing local cinema and boosting regional tourism through its cultural significance.

Hollywood on the river Scheldt

Iconoclasm (1982)

Iconoclasm

1982•1h30m•★8.0TMDB

A 90-minute film celebrates the 10th anniversary of De Melkweg, a multimedia venue in Amsterdam known for its counter-culture roots.

Cannes : Palmes, scandales et tapis rouge (2022)

Cannes : Palmes, scandales et tapis rouge

2022•1h10m•★8.0TMDB

Over 75 years, the Cannes Film Festival has grown into the largest cinema event in the world, attracting global attention each May.

Cannes : Palmes, scandales et tapis rouge

Browse more by Brecht Debackere

View all films →

Nostalgia for the Future (2026)

Nostalgia for the Future

2026

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →