The Broken Circle Breakdown

The Broken Circle Breakdown
Film poster
Directed by	Felix Van Groeningen
Written by	Johan Heldenbergh and Mieke Dobbels
Starring	Veerle Baetens Johan Heldenbergh
Cinematography	Ruben Impens
Release dates	10 October 2012
Running time	111 minutes
Country	Belgium
Language	Flemish
Box office	$5.5 million[1]

The Broken Circle Breakdown is a 2012 Belgian drama film directed by Felix Van Groeningen. Based on the play written by Johan Heldenbergh and Mieke Dobbels, its main characters are Didier, played by Heldenbergh, and Elise, played by actress/singer Veerle Baetens. Young newcomer Nell Cattrysse is their ill daughter Maybelle.

The film was selected as the Belgian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards,^[2][3] and was on the nominated shortlist.^[4] It was the winner of the 2013 LUX Prize.^[5]

Cast

• Veerle Baetens as Elise Vandevelde/Alabama
• Johan Heldenbergh as Didier Bontinck
• Nell Cattrysse as Maybelle
• Geert Van Rampelberg as William
• Nils De Caster as Jock
• Robbie Cleiren as Jimmy
• Bert Huysentruyt as Jef
• Jan Bijvoet as Koen
• Blanka Heirman as Denise

Plot

The film is set in Ghent, in the Flemish Region of Belgium, and explores the lives of Didier and Elise over seven years as they fall in love through their passion for bluegrass music. They have a daughter, Maybelle, who develops cancer after her sixth birthday, and succumbs to it within a year. The death of Maybelle has a devastating effect on their relationship and their lives.

Production

The film was shot from 18 July to 8 September 2011 in Belgium.^[6]

Soundtrack

The bluegrass soundtrack includes traditional songs ^[7] as well as music composed for the film by Bjorn Eriksson.^[8] All the music in the band scenes is performed by the actors.^[8]

1. Will the Circle Be Unbroken? See also Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By)
2. The Boy Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn by Alison Krauss, Pat Brayer, Jerry Douglas, Dan Tyminski, Barry Bales, and Ron Block
3. Dusty Mixed Feelings
4. Wayfaring Stranger
5. Rueben's Train
6. Country In My Genes
7. Further On Up The Road
8. Where Are You Heading, Tumbleweed?
9. Over In The Gloryland
10. Cowboy Man
11. If I Needed You
12. Carved Tree Inn
13. Sandmountain
14. Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us
15. Blackberry Blossom

Accolades

Awards
Award	Category	Recipient	Outcome
Academy Awards	Best Foreign Language Film	The Broken Circle Breakdown	Nominated
César Awards[9][10]	Best Foreign Film	The Broken Circle Breakdown	Won
Denver Film Critics Society[11]	Best Foreign Language Film	The Broken Circle Breakdown	Nominated
European Film Awards[12]	European Film	The Broken Circle Breakdown	Nominated
	European Director	Felix Van Groeningen	Nominated
	European Actress	Veerle Baetens	Won
	European Actor	Johan Heldenbergh	Nominated
	European Screenwriter	Carl Joos and Felix van Groeningen	Nominated
	People's Choice Award[13]	The Broken Circle Breakdown	Nominated
San Diego Film Critics Society	Best Foreign Language Film	The Broken Circle Breakdown	Nominated
Satellite Awards	Best Foreign Language Film	The Broken Circle Breakdown	Won
Tribeca Film Festival	Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film	Veerle Baetens	Won
	Best Screenplay for a Narrative Feature Film	Carl Joos, Felix Van Groeningen	Won
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association[14]	Best Foreign Language Film	The Broken Circle Breakdown	Won
Lux Prize	Best Film - only category	The Broken Circle Breakdown	Won

See also

• List of Belgian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
• List of submissions to the 86th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film

References

1. http://www.jpbox-office.com/fichfilm.php?id=13724
2. "The Broken Circle Breakdown represents Belgium at Foreign Language Oscars". Flanders Image. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
3. "Oscars: Belgium Nominates 'The Broken Circle Breakdown' for Foreign Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
4. "Oscars: Main nominations 2014". BBC News. Retrieved 2014-01-16.
5. "LUX Prize 2013". European Parliament. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
6. "Pressbook - The Broken Circle Breakdown.pdf" (PDF). Retrieved 3 December 2013.
7. "The Broken Circle Breakdown(2012) Soundtracks". IMDB. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
8. "The Broken Circle Breakdown highlights Belgian bluegrass". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
9. "Berenice Bejo, Lea Seydoux, Roman Polanski Among France's Cesar Awards Nominees". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
10. "France's Cesar Awards: 'Me, Myself and Mum' Wins Best Film". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
11. Lodge, Guy (7 January 2014). "2013 Denver Film Critics' Society nominations". HitFix. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
12. "‘The Broken Circle Breakdown’ Leads European Film Awards Nominations". Deadline.com. PMC. 9 November 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
13. "VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE EUROPEAN FILM AND WIN A TRIP TO THE 26th EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS IN BERLIN!". Europeanfilmawards.eu. November 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
14. Tapley, Kristopher (December 8, 2013). "'12 Years a Slave' and 'Her' lead the way with Washington D.C. critics nominations". HitFix. Retrieved December 8, 2013.

External links

• Official website
• The Broken Circle Breakdown at the Internet Movie Database
• The Broken Circle Breakdown at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Broken Circle Breakdown at Metacritic
• The Broken Circle Breakdown at AllMovie