Vitrival
The Most Beautiful Village in the World
Noëlle Bastin, Baptiste Bogaert
Vitrival – the most beautiful village in the world? Actually, Vitrival is pretty ordinary. There’s not much more to experience there than the church choir, parades and the occasional dip in the neighbours’ jacuzzi. But the tranquil idyll is shattered when obscene graffiti begins to appear on the walls of the village community. When a series of mysterious suicides is added to the mix, police officers Benjamin and Petit Pierre feel compelled to restore order and peace.
With Vitrival, the directing duo of Noëlle Bastin and Baptiste Bogaert have created an honest and funny film about village life. A collection of quirky characters brightens up the film’s sombre themes: two cousins who, as police officers, are rather clumsy; the self-appointed ‘oldies’ neighbourhood watch, rummaging through private bins for spray cans; and then there’s Petit Pierre’s sister, who marches through the village banging loudly on a drum, annoying everyone. Between psychological distress, family entanglements and close-knit neighbourhoods, the story unfolds, exploring the absurdities of village life. An honest portrait of the lethargically beautiful life of a community in the arse-end of nowhere.
1 May 2026
20:00 h, Elysee 2 im Festivalzentrum
More information
| Direction | Noëlle Bastin, Baptiste Bogaert |
| Country | Belgium |
| Production year | 2025 |
| Duration | 111 min |
| Language | French |
| Language Version | OV with English Subs |
| Genre | Tragicomedy, Comedy |
| Production | Beata Saboova, Vincent Metzinger |
| Production company | Naoko Films |
| Distribution | Patra Spanou Film |
| Cast | Pierre Bastin, Benjamin Lambillotte |
| Director of Photography | Baptiste Bogaert, Marie Merlant |
| Script | Noëlle Bastin, Baptiste Bogaert |
| Montage | Noëlle Bastin, Baptiste Bogaert |
Film Festival ROTTERDAM 2025, BRUSSELS 2025: BEST ACTING
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About the director
Vitrival is the first feature film by the Belgian directing duo Baptiste Bogaert and Noëlle Bastin. Bogaert studied film studies and photography and initially worked in the civil service before devoting himself entirely to film. Bastin worked as a French teacher, which served as inspiration for their first joint short film, The School Yard (2017). The pair’s work often focuses on real places, situations and people, and their films blur the line between fiction and documentary.
Press reviews
"Noëlle Bastin and Baptiste Bogaert’s film is a deadpan comic delight. Shooting in an area they know well and employing locals – many of whom they have previously worked with – the filmmakers place less emphasis on the process of the cops’ investigation, instead favouring observations of village activity, and drawing humour from the idiosyncrasies, petty rivalries and quirky character traits of its population" (Vanja Kaludjercic, iffr.com)
"The dryly comic feature debut from artist/filmmaking duo Noelle Bastin and Baptiste Bogaert navigates a tricky tonal balance: it’s droll without tipping over into whimsy; perceptive and acutely observed but never mocking." (Wendy Ide, screendaily.com)
GERMAN PREMIERE
Q&A with the directors
International Feature Film Program
