– BERLINALE 2026: Teodora Ana Mihai presents her new film, which revisits the tragedy that plunged the world of football into mourning on a European Cup night in Brussels
Violet Braeckman in Heysel 85
Heysel 85, a historical drama revisiting the tragic European Cup final held in Brussels on a May evening in 1985, during which 39 people lost their lives, premiered in the Berlinale Special section of the 76th Berlinale. Teodora Ana Mihai casts an uncompromising eye on the failures that led to this catastrophe, in a narrative driven by off-screen tension, that immerses us at the heart of the tragedy while highlighting the responsibilities at play. The Belgian-Romanian filmmaker first gained recognition through her documentary work (Waiting for August, Best Documentary Award at Karlovy Vary), before her first fiction feature, La Civil [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Teodora Ana Mihai
film profile], was selected at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section and received the Audacity Award, and her second fiction feature, Traffic [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Teodora Ana Mihai
film profile], won the Grand Prix at the Warsaw Festival and was chosen as Romania’s submission for this year’s Academy Awards.
29 May 1985. Luca (Matteo Simoni), a Belgian journalist working for Italian radio, crosses paths with his family at the entrance to the Heysel Stadium, where they have come to support Juve in the European Cup final against Liverpool. As English and Italian supporters arrive in droves to back their teams, the atmosphere on the esplanade is electric. Tickets are being traded on the black market, and some spectators sneak through holes in the stadium walls. Marie (Violet Braeckman) is assisting the Mayor of Brussels (who also happens to be her father), handling his relations with the press. While politicians, institutional representatives and sponsors sip champagne in a private lounge, the police and gendarmerie are showing signs of nervousness. The stadium is packed to capacity, the facilities are dilapidated, those in charge are focused on issues other than security, and English and Italian supporters find themselves side by side despite recommendations against. Even before the match begins, the situation is critical, and as the first clashes break out, Italian supporters, attacked by English hooligans, are trapped by gates that cannot be opened because the keys cannot be found. The grim countdown began, while most of the spectators in the stadium seemed unaware of the terrible events unfolding before their eyes. Behind the scenes, each official blames the next, and negotiations begin on whether to go ahead with the match, for the safety of the public according to some, for financial gain according to others. “Morality is a luxury we cannot afford,” declares a senior official with a cynicism shared by many of his colleagues.
Teodora Ana Mihai skilfully brings to life the drama unfolding behind what quickly resembles a war zone. As corpses pile up on the ground, dignitaries squabble over who is to blame. The filmmaker brings the drama to life off-screen through her formidable sound design, and focuses on the tension in the stadium’s underground corridors, where we follow Marie with a handheld camera. Marie is revolted by the unscrupulousness of the many old men in charge (starting with her father) and tries with her meagre means to influence the situation as much as possible. The drama turns out to be not an unfortunate accident, but the predictable result of a host of dysfunctions. The filmmaker opts for an aesthetic similar to that of the numerous archive images she inserts into her montage, thus reinforcing the urgency and sincerity of her message. Despite a few slightly obvious fictional devices, Heysel 85 is a relevant look back at this dark chapter in the history of football, but also of Belgium and even Brussels.
Heysel 85 was produced by Menuetto (Belgium), in co-production with Les Films du Fleuve (Belgium), Topkapi (Netherlands) and Leitwolf (Germany). International sales are handled by Salaud Morisset.
(Translated from French)
