Waarom Wettelen
Black comedy in which a motley crew sets off on foot to bury Christine – in accordance with her final will – in the totally unknown village of Wettelen. Directorial debut by Belgian writer Dimitri Verhulst (The Misfortunates).
Christine’s husband and her children are totally surprised by the choice of Wettelen; they don’t even know the location of the village. During the traditional funeral procession, which Christine also requested in her will, the family members learn that no one really knew Christine. Old intrigues come to light and by the time the resting place is reached, several family secrets have been unearthed.
Popular Belgian writer Dimitri Verhulst has previously contributed to adapting his novels for the screen, but when he decided to write an original screenplay, he realized he wanted to direct it too. He hasn’t lost a single touch of his signature humour in the process. In Verhulst’s film, undertakers drunk-drive their hearse and the funeral ceremony is used to reminisce about a ‘legendary diarrhoea attack in Tunisia’. And yet there is something recognisable in Verhulst’s absurd universe.