Seagulls Die in the Harbour [Meeuwen sterven in de haven] was the first Belgian film to be included in the official competition of the Cannes film festival. This pessimistic urban drama, accompanied by a musical score by Jack Sels and Max Damasse, unfolds in stark, expressionistically lit black-and-white images. It follows the wanderings of a tormented man (Julien Schoenaerts) through the cosmopolitan port city of Antwerp. The only people who offer him solace are an orphan and two disillusioned women. Influenced by the poetic realism of pre-war French cinema, this sultry blend of drama and thriller exudes a unique expressive power. The film’s intelligent use of symbolism is evident in its portrayal of desolate industrial sites, abandoned docks, grimy poor neighbourhoods, and imposing modern buildings.
