Why We Fight?

When we’re out of words, the body takes over

So far the dancers Bérengère Bodin, Samir M’Kirech and TK Russell agree, when you ask them: why are we fighting? Based on their personal experiences, they look for the why of violence around them in the world, but also the violence in themselves. How do you deal with fear, frustration and disappointment in today’s world, where you feel
unheard or misunderstood? Is it at all possible to act in a non-violent way? Or is that privilege reserved for those who create dance, music, art or words?

With their film Why We Fight? Alain Platel and Mirjam Devriendt pay tribute to the arts, but also to humanity, that always seems to balance between creating something spectacularly beautiful or horribly cruel.

Alain Platel & Mirjam Devriendt

Alain Platel

Platel is an autodidact director, who has 30 years of experience in theatre and dance.
A selection of his pieces are: C(H)OEURS (2012, upon request of Gerard Mortier) , Gardenia (2010, together with Frank Van Laecke), Out Of Context – for Pina (2010), and Nicht Schlafen (2016) and Requiem pour L (2018).
In France, Platel was made Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de la République Française in 2001 and again Commandeur de l’Orde des Arts et des Lettres in 2015. In the UK, Platel receives Time Out Live Award in 2001. In Belgium, Platel receives the Flemish Culture Prize for General Cultural Merit in 2015, in 2016 the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Ghent and the Gold Medal of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and Art.

Platel entered the arena of the dance film together with the British director Sophie Fiennes with the films ‘Because I Sing’ in 2001, ‘Ramallah!Ramallah!Ramallah!’ in 2005 and ‘VSPRS Show and Tell’ in 2007. In 2006, he directed the documentary ‘de balletten en ci en la’ (110 mins), in coproduction with Arte France.

Mirjam Devriendt

In collaboration with internationally renowned artist Berlinde De Bruyckere, photographer Mirjam Devriendt has created numerous video installations for opera and art exhibitions, notably for La Monnaie (Penthesilea – directed by Pierre Audi – 2015), Holland Festival Mariavespers – directed by Pierre Audi – 2017), Het Vlot – Ostend (Penthesilea, 2015-2017 – curator Jan Fabre), And You Must Suffer – Muziektheater Transparant and B’Rock Orchestra (2015). In 2017, Devriendt presented a series of photos and a video installation at the Dr. Guislain Museum in Ghent as part of the
‘The Alzheimer Code ’project.

Credits

Belgian festival premiere October 2021, Film Fest Gent
German festival premiere May 2022, Dok.fest München
tv broadcasts autumn 2022, VRT, RTBF, ZDF/arte

writers-directors Alain Platel & Mirjam Devriendt
inspired by the dance performance Nicht Schlafen by Alain Platel
editor Dieter Diependaele
director of photography Mirjam Devriendt
sound Jean-François Levillain
composer Steven Prengels
producers Emmy Oost, Magalie Dierick
coproducers Christian Beetz, Tuan Lam
production companies Cassette for timescapes, Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion,
Onomatopee Films
in coproduction with ZDF in association with ARTE, VRT Canvas, RTBF Télévision
belge – Unité Documentaire

partners Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de
la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Creative Europe MEDIA of the European Union,
The Pascal Decroos Fund, City of Ghent, Culture Ghent, The Tax Shelter of the
Belgian federal government via Flanders Tax Shelter, The Corona Emergency Fund
of the Flanders Government

genre creative documentary
running time 98’
screening format DCP, ProRes HQ
languages Dutch, French, English
subtitles English, Dutch, French
aspect ratio 1.85:1