Here

An altruistic film. The cinematography is gorgeous. The composition is genius. With all the greenery scenes it's a refreshing look. A pallet cleanser.

Simply two average humans wandering around in their city with deep thoughts and no judgments as they scrutinize their day to day with questions about what is life. They stopped often to smell the roses to be present in the moment.

The pace is a slow burn on purpose. In order for this fim to be effective your heart rate needs to be relaxed. Almost as if you are in a meditative state. This film is an immersive art piece. It captures you and you use all your five senses. It reminds you that you are here.

Saw this at the 2023 filmfestival in Ghant (Belgium). A minimal story about two people in Brussels, living their separate lives, meeting each other by accident a few times, and find a connection for some reason or other. No sex, nor any other intimate contact.

When the movie ends, they do not even know each other names, but still there is some bond. We see it grow gradually, mixed with images of Brussels' city nature that also gets its fair share of attention.

Seeing this movie had an unexpected side effect on me. When at home I started making soup from all sorts of remaining vegetables I had lying around, inspired by Stefan who had to clear his fridge before going back to his country. In Dutch, we call this madiwodo soup (does not translate, but is typically made by cafeterias at work on a Friday, out of remaining ingredients from the previous Mon/Tue/Wed/Thursday, or motuweth for short, not a pronounceable acronym).

Notwithstanding that the story went nowhere interesting, the lead actors and the way it is pictured was remarkably compelling. I'm not sure how the filmmakers do it, but it works even for a nerd like me who doesn't do feelings nor atmosphere.

The melting pot that is present day Europe should be an inspiration for more uplifting stories about the things that bind us as people. I would be hard pressed to find examples for this, the focus, both in the news and in cinema, being foremost on tension and conflict. It makes sense, conflict drives storytelling and keeps us engaged. Yet, here we are, in the world of Bas Devos, where human connection springs eternal from the most unexpected of sources.

This is a conflict-less story. Or, rather, a story that's not really about the conflict. My namesake Stefan, a Romanian construction worker living in Belgium, is about to travel back home, but needs to get his car fixed before leaving. He also needs to clear his fridge, so makes a big pot of soup out of whatever he finds.

This haphazardly concocted soup then proves a wonderous lubricant of the human spirit, it opens doors in a Balkanic tradition, but also forges moments of connection and intimacy, the way sharing food so often does. Per chance, in pre-departure to and fros, Stefan meets Shuxiu, a Belgian-Chinese woman who works on her doctorate about mosses, while also helping out one of her relatives who runs a small restaurant. It's the unlikeliest of connections, but perfectly in the spirit that Here inhabits.

At just 82 minutes, the movie is strikingly short. Especially if you get into its mood, it will lull you before you even realize it's ending. We are so used to our urban jungles, that nature takes on ever more mystical qualities. In the world of Here, nature provides, in all its delicate simplicity. Stefan Gota and Liyo Gong play their understated parts in this symphony and we feel immediately drawn to them, to join them. We are traveling back to the roots of our quintessential sense of connection, in an almost idealistic form of said conflict-less world. But it's not really a world without conflict, rather one where it has temporarily ceased and made room for tenderness.

Here is a moment in time, the proverbial here and now, which is the most blissful place to exist in. It's mischievously elusive, of course, but Bas Devos somehow manages to capture its essence in this movie, that has all the chances of growing on you and showing you true North. 8.

The thing I love most about Bas Devos is his approach to allowing me to experience his films in a meditative state and how he just let you chill out and really feel what's going on with the characters. It's all so natural, like you're just experiencing daily life alongside them. His latest, "Here," kinda reminds me of his earlier film "Ghost Tropic" with its themes offering a more tender exploration of human connection and isolation.

This 16mm tender embrace, a visual poem of moss, invites us into the bittersweet lives of two strangers in Brussels. A chance encounter brings Stefan and Shuxiu together but parting ways is inevitable. Devos masterfully juxtaposes their inner worlds with the beauty of the natural world, creating a poignant contrast for this simplistic story. Th ending is a thoughtful choice, avoiding the need for both characters to engage in extended dialogue or monologues. And the ending? It's just perfect. No big speeches needed, Shuxiu's reaction says it all and just speaks volumes.

And it's not just about the great outdoors; there's also that quiet feeling of being indoors, meandering reflection on the transience of life. In the calm stillness of "Here," even simple things like a train's reflection or the rain-pelted window, so profound, especially with the way it's framed. It just creates this amazing sense of intimacy.

Intimacy.

Ultimately, "Here" is one of those films that just makes you want to slow down, notice the little beautiful things, and find a bit of comfort in all those fleeting moments we experience. It's a real gem.

This is one of the few films I have seen that shows more than plot and action. That is what humans, as we build our cities, seek because we are bored, frightened, and need to survive. But underlying all this activity is the quiet and organized intelligence of nature and the universe that most people will never see or acknowledge.

A cruder mind might find this film as dull as watching moss grow. But the spectacular in life is often not even noticed. We just need to get things done and move onto the next thing. For example, Stephan's, the main character's sister keeps saying she doesn't have time for a longer visit with him, even though he is leaving the country (Belgium) and may not return.

When one of his friends tells of a near death experience in which all the people who touched his soul surrounded him, Stephan saw something that redeems this life from just being a round of chores, sleeping, and eating.

When Stephan is introduced to the overlooked splendor of the huge variety of mosses that most people trample underfoot, he also experiences a light coming on in his life that gives it beauty.

It takes courage to go beyond rom-coms, action flicks, and political statements to produce a light that shines on the perfection of life right here.