– Thomas Ancora is currently working on his second feature film, an atypical slasher in the Belgian audiovisual landscape
Jeanne Sauvat, Mentissa, director Thomas Ancora, Janelle Vanes, Nicolas Godart and Victor Meutelet on the set of L’Ordre Pourpre
Following Losers Revolution [+see also:
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trailer
film profile], a debut feature film produced with support for low-budget productions and released on the eve of lockdown, Thomas Ancora is currently shooting his second feature, L’Ordre Pourpre, which draws on the conventions of the slasher genre whilst transposing it to Wallonia, all against a backdrop of toxic masculinity, racism and homophobia.
The story? During a hazing ritual at an elite Belgian university, a young student is killed. Panicked, the other participants – young, brilliant, untouchable – decide to cover up the incident. Silence, lies and a blood pact ensue. For a year, everything remains buried, until Octave and the other students present that evening receive a disturbing parcel: someone knows what happened… and wants revenge. This time, their social status and privileges will not be enough to protect them.
Genre films are still relatively rare in French-speaking Belgium, although some filmmakers are exploring the boundaries throughout their careers (such as Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani, Fabrice Du Welz, or Karim Ouelhaj), whilst others venture into comedy with a twist (think of the work of Ann Sirot & Raphaël Balboni, the Guit brothers, or a film like Véronique Jadin’s Employee of the Month [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Véronique Jadin
film profile]). Last year, it was Michiel Blanchart’s Night Call [+see also:
film review
interview: Michiel Blanchart
film profile], a nocturnal thriller set against the backdrop of Black Lives Matter protests in the streets of Brussels, which won 11 awards at the Belgian Film Awards. Whilst dramas and films with social resonance therefore dominate the industry, with proven expertise, other types of production are beginning to flourish.
L’Ordre Pourpre is one such film, proudly embracing its pop culture references and a clear taste for popular cinema, setting out to deliver a thriller that flirts with dark comedy, whilst also nodding towards the whodunnit and the slasher genre. The basic rule of the genre? A cast of handsome, stylish young people who throw themselves into the lion’s den by making one bad decision after another. So be it.
In the lead roles, Thomas Ancora has cast, among others, Victor Meutelet (a regular on French television, who appeared in the hit series Emily in Paris and the film Monsieur Aznavour [+see also:
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trailer
film profile]). Also appearing are Belgian singer Mentissa (discovered on The Voice, making her cinema debut here), Nicolas Godart (seen in Paris, 13th District [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and the Netflix series Anthracite) and the young Belgian actress Janelle Vanes.
Filming began on 2 March and is set to wrap on 27 March, taking place in Brussels and Wallonia. The film is produced by Catherine Burniaux and Stéphane Lhoest for Les Gens Studio, in co-production with Eric Porcher for Atypik Studio, with the support of the Cinema and Audiovisual Centre of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, the regional audiovisual investment fund Wallimage, the RTBF, Proximus, Be TV and the Tax Shelter Fédéral.
(Translated from French)
