GILLES (2017)

On a Saturday night in the "City of Love", two sworn enemies, frustrated with the way society reduces them to stereotypes, are united in their hatred for someone they despise even more than each other: a gay man.


starring Mattias Van de Vijver, Sofiene Mamdi,
and Michael Muller as Gilles

AVAILABLE ON CINETREE (NL), FILMDOO (UK),
AMAZON (US) & VIMEO (WORLDWIDE)
or get in touch directly for the screener password. 

“Associazione ARC has decided to give a special mention to an extremely topical short film, able to show the spirit of our times. We are, indeed, in a historical moment where, in a very dangerous way, all over the world some political forces, even ruling ones, are taking advantage of the hatred towards people considered different as a medium of propaganda. Thus, for its ability to represent in just a few minutes this tendency to use fear and disdain as social glue, the ARC Special Mention goes to GILLES.” - jury statement, Sardinia Queer Film Festival, Italy, December 2018 

 

“[I]n a work that is but a sermon on how homophobia hasn't gone away and if anything is still alive and literally kicking, this is a film that strikingly illustrates just how a volatile situation can change in seconds and how in wanting to do good, you could end up putting your own life at risk.”
- Gay Celluloid

“Xenophobia and homophobia make strange but convenient bedfellows in this captivating short (…) Director Jordi Wijnalda doesn’t shy away from calling a spade a spade.”
- QueerGuru

FESTIVALS & AWARDS

  • Official Selection, Netherlands Film Festival

  • Official Selection, Shortcutz Amsterdam

  • Winner of Best Actor (Mattias Van de Vijver) and Best Screenplay (Wander Theunis & Ashar Medina), 4th Shortcutz Amsterdam Annual Awards, 2017

  • Official Selection, U I T K O R T, Amsterdam, 2017

  • Official Selection, Rotterdams Open Doek, Rotterdam, 2017

  • Main Competition (Academy Award-Qualifying), Odense Film Festival, Denmark, 2017

  • "Confrontations" Competition, interfilm Berlin Festival, Germany, 2017

  • International Competition, Diversions International Short Film Festival, Croatia, 2018

  • Official Selection, Taos Pride Film Fest, New Mexico (USA), 2018

  • Official Selection, Västerås Filmfestival, Sweden, 2018

  • Special Presentation, International Film Festival Nancy, France, 2018

  • Winner of the ARC Special Jury Prize for Social/Political Engagement, USN Expo - Sardinia Queer Film Festival, Italy, 2018

  • Official Competition, Girogirocorto Film Festival Rome, Italy, 2018

 

directed by Jordi Wijnalda
written by Wander Theunis & Ashar Medina
produced by Freek Zonderland & Jordi Wijnalda
co-produced by Joram Willink & Piet-Harm Sterk
with special thanks to Erik Glijnis, Maxime Kathari, Jessie Mentjox and Stevan Lee Mraovitch
line produced by Benthe van Wallenburg & Besma Ayari
cinematography by John Wakayama Carey
editing by Freek Zonderland
sound recording, sound mixing and design by
Brandon Grötzinger & Matthijs Klijn (Cinema Sound Services)
assistant director Elise van Dijk
script supervisor/director's assistant Lennart van Egmond
light design by Jeroen Kiers
best boy Marjoke Haagsma
first assistant camera Kasper Stegeman
costume design by Britt Avelon Tan
special effects make-up by Sylvia Stigter
fight choreography by Chiel Christiaans
color grading by Robbert Nieuwenhuijs
music by Michiel Eilbracht
set photography by Herman Zonderland
catering by Annemarie de Vreede
poster design by Wander Theunis

special thanks to Maxime Kathari, Isabelle Fauvel, Wouter Jansen, Aleksandra Gertsik, Robbert Vos, Joost Kelderman, John Bilquez, Jean-Bernard Mennaboo, Sam Azzi, and others

with the generous support of BIND, Invite-AV, VSB Fonds, De Ontmoeting, VERS Film & TV, CineCrowd, and our 138 (!) crowdfunding supporters