Here
Bas Devos / Belgium / 2023 / 80 min
A quiet romance between a Romanian construction worker and a Belgian-Chinese biologist unfolds on the enchanted outskirts of a European city in Bas Devos' breathtaking feature film, where nature and the environment play the third lead role.
There are some films you just want to move right in and live inside. ‘Here’ is one of them. Bas Devos’ breathtaking feature film follows the quiet romance between Stefan, a Romanian construction worker, and Shuxiu, a young Belgian-Chinese woman who studies biology with a focus on moss by day and helps out in her mother’s restaurant at night. The third protagonist in Bas Devos’ light and airy film is the environment around them. ‘Here’ is one of those rare films that shifts the focus from human actions in favour of magical atmospheres and all the life around us that we usually overlook and which the film allows to blossom through both the asphalt and the minimalist plot. Call it an ‘environmentally friendly’ form of filmmaking, and you’re well on your way to understanding Bas Devos’ significant contribution to leading contemporary cinema into a more sustainable future.