Ben X (Nic Balthazar 2007):Belgium

Director Nic Balthazar debut feature film, Ben X is a wonderful film from Belgium that has stood out from the rest of the films in this festival. The way that it feels as the viewer can get inside the head of Ben, an autistic boy who has a hard time taking on the real world but dominates in a certain video game, is intense. This makes the viewer wrapped up into his complicated life.

Ben(Greg Timmermans), whose gamertag is Ben X in a video game called “Archlord,” plays the game every morning before going out into the real world. Ben uses this game to escape his troubles and complicating situations by thinking how he would take on the situation in Archlord. Every morning he plays with a girl named “Scarlite(Laura Verlinden),” who constantly calls Ben X her hero. This makes Ben feel like he is being treated in a way no other person has treated.

At school, Ben is constantly picked on and bullied by two kids. They humiliate Ben by getting him up in front of the class on top of a desk and pansted him. Students filmed in on their phones and spread the video everywhere, including emailing the video to Ben. He is so devastated that it ultimately leads him to thinking about an “end game.”

Director Nic Balthazar has made a film that captures the darker side of real the real world. The film is adapted from Balthazar’s first novel “Niets was alles wat hij zei” (“Nothing was all he said”). He first introduced the novel on stage as a play. This turned out be a huge success selling out over 200 shows, leading to MGM buying the rights to the book and the play. Balthazar directed and wrote the screenplay for the Ben X.

This film tackles big ideas that we see in everyday life. It makes the viewers think who the “Ben X” in their own life is. The film has a strong message backed up with great acting, some amazing shots, and strong video effects, making it a must see film.