To warm up, let's start with a two-fold cult location: place Poelaert. Backed by the monumental Palace of Justice and offering a breathtaking panorama of Brussels, its cinematic potential did not escape director Olivier Van Hoofstadt. He filmed one of the funniest scenes in Dikkenek here, where his hero, the colourful Claudy Focan, has his car stolen. The sunsets here are as splendid as on the Riviera!
1. Place Poelaert - “Dikkenek” (2006) Olivier Van Hoofstadt
2. The arcades of the Cinquantenaire - Fils de Joie (2022) by Stromae
Another unmissable icon of Brussels' heritage, the arcades of the Cinquantenaire unfold their impressive silhouette in the park of the same name. Built for the fiftieth anniversary of Belgium's independence, they are in practically every frame of Stromae's "Fils de Joie" music video. The video makes use of their monumentality to better stage a very solemn burial ceremony. The result is a clip that mobilised more than 500 extras and which the singer described as "the most ambitious of his career".
3. Bois de la Cambre - Supercondriaque (2014) by Dany Boon
As the capital’s green lung, it was only right that the Bois de la Cambre and its canopy appear in our selection of star locations. Director Dany Boon, who is also fond of filming in Belgium (the streets of Chimay or Namur also feature in his films!), chose the green lawns of this Brussels park for an iconic jogging scene in his crazy comedy Supercondriaque. The most observant may even recognise the silhouette of the Chalet Robinson in the background!
4. Basilica of Koekelberg – 1985 (2023) by Wouter Bouvijn
Ranked 5th among the largest churches in the world, it wins the award for the largest Art Deco building ever built! With all these distinctions (and have we mentioned the breathtaking view of the capital and its surroundings?), it seemed obvious to find the Basilica of Koekelberg on the big screen! It appears in the series 1985, a police drama about unsolved crimes filmed largely in Brussels.
Chantal Akerman en 1986 © Jean Ber - Fondation Chantal Akerman
Chantal Akerman, a Brussels director honoured
In December 2022, Belgian director Chantal Akerman made headlines. Her film, Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, entirely shot in Brussels (as the title would suggest!), has just been voted the best film of all time by the British magazine Sight and Sound. A few months later, a tribute mural, inspired by the legendary film, was created in the heart of the canal district and close to the film's shooting location!
5. Matongé - Black (2014) by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah
Animated, cosmopolitan, and bursting with flavours from far-flung lands, Matongé is THE Africandistrict of Brussels. Located between Chaussée de Wavre and Porte de Namur, its stalls, shops, and galleries with their unique energy inspired Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the directors of Black. Released in 2014, this feature film made headlines by recounting the clashes between rival gangs against the backdrop of a passionate love story. It’s strikingly realistic!