THE LIONESS
The lioness depicts unconditional motherly love. In nature, she often raises her young alone and sometimes has to protect them from their own father. Dries' mother also protected her children from their father's illness, but that only really became clear after her death. The lioness is physically strong and therefore dangerous, but at the same time she can be a "pussycat" and approach Dries with tenderness, to take him to a safer place or watch over him in his sleep. The lioness of course does not really exist, but only in the head of the main character. This "delusion" also symbolizes the possible "madness" that lives inside him and that he anxiously tries to deny.
THE DIRECTOR
Dries Meddens was confronted with death at an early age by the young death of his brother. But where his father became the plaything of a drastic event and great emotions, the son (Dries) emerged as a spectator, safe from the sidelines.
At an early age he began photographing and filming, making music, drawing and painting. All these activities came to an abrupt end with the early death of his mother. He felt compelled to make a rational choice. After two years of art school, he finally completed an apprenticeship in furniture making.
He has already made a short film about his young deceased brother (Ciel, 2014, shortcorner Festival de Cannes, NFF) but also a medium-length documentary about the rock group Terminal Cheesecake (Wages of the imagination, 2019, IFFR).
THE PAINTER
The unprecedented freedom of the imagination is a recurring theme in Stephan Balleux's work. The step from static paintings to moving images is an extension of earlier work that he made with choreographer Louise Vanneste, among others. Moreover, just like Dries, he grew up in a psychiatric related family.
By using animation (the lioness) Stephan Balleux makes the imagination visible. Scenes are painted frame by frame in the old-fashioned way, adding Stephan's own handwriting to the story. Not only does this reveal the blind spot of the main character but also creates a parallel with the paintings (imagination) of the grandfather.
Stephan is head of the painting department at the Royal Academy of Art in Brussels. He is represented by Patrick Painter Inc Gallery in L.A. His work has been exhibited many times in Belgium and abroad, in art centers, institutions, art galleries and art fairs such as Art Brussels, BE / Art Rotterdam, NL / L.A. Kunstshow, USA / Patrick Painter Inc, Los Angeles, USA / Bozar, Brussels, BE / Elsene Museum, BE / Larmgalleri, Copenhagen, DA / Sherin Najjar gallery, Berlin, DE / LA.
THE DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Benito Strangio was charmed by the project from the start. During test shots with Dries' family, it became apparent in practice how naturally the collaboration took shape. Benito Strangio is a very experienced cameraman who works in various genres within the film world. In addition to feature films and documentaries, he is also in demand for films by visual artists. Benito is a true team player and is able to find solutions for productions with less financial possibilities to achieve a high production value. But even more important: Benito is a very special photographer who can capture his subjects in a sensual way and thus raises, without exception, the films on which he collaborates to an artistically high level.
THe psychiaTRIST
Prof. Dr. Bernard Sabbe's entire professional life is at the service of the field of psychiatry and mental health. Caring for patients with psychiatric disorders is the core of his professional activity. First, every day, caring for patients. Medical psychology encompasses the totality of psychological knowledge that a physician must possess in order to act effectively medically.
Bernard Sabbe has a long track record. He was at the basis of the cooperation UA-UZA-PZ Duffel with the creation of a new university department of adult psychiatry, of which he became head of department in 2011 until today. He was co-founder of the CAPRI (Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute), to date a leading psychiatric research institute in Flanders. CAPRI was successful from the outset in several research lines, namely child and adolescent psychiatry, cognitive and motor disorders in schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, affective and functional disorders, addiction psychiatry, forensic psychiatry and public mental health.
THE PRODUCERS
'SEED' is a co-production of Associate Directors in Belgium and seriousFilm in the Netherlands. Both production companies have a long track record in producing documentary films with a social and cultural impact.
'SEED' is supported by Flanders Audiovisual Fund and the Netherlands Film Fund.
