Exhibition, Lecture, Screening: La kermesse héroïque (Jacques Feyder, 1936)

Pelliculot, in collaboration with the Bruges Library, UGent, and CINEMATEK, has put together a trilogy centered around the film La kermesse héroïque (Jacques Feyder, 1936). With an exhibition, lecture, and film screening, they aim to shed new light on this controversial film. La kermesse héroïque was originally banned in Bruges due to its controversial portrayal of the Spanish occupation of Flanders in 1616. Despite winning numerous prestigious international awards and paying tribute to the Flemish masters, the film faced opposition from Catholic and Flemish nationalist circles. The exhibition explores the national and international censorship that surrounded the film and its impact on Bruges. It can be visited until April 12th at the Bruges Library, with free admission.

On April 4th, professor Daniël Biltereyst (UGent) and Bruno Mestdagh (CINEMATEK) will explore the hidden history of film censorship in Belgium in their lecture ‘Verboden Beelden – De verborgen geschiedenis van filmcensuur in België’. Using La kermesse héroïque as a starting point, the lecture will showcase a unique selection of previously unseen footage, giving insight into changing societal norms.

The film itself will also be screened later that week (on April 6th) at Lumière cinema in Bruges. This screening features a 35mm print from the CINEMATEK collection and will be preceded by an introduction from Daniël Biltereyst. The screening will be in French with Dutch subtitles.

You can find more information here.