YEAR 6 | FILM 9 Drama | Belgium | Flemish w/ English subtitles
Belgium's selection for Best Foreign Language Film - 80th Academy Award®
"Buttressed by strong performances – particularly newcomer Timmermans in the lead – the film has not an ounce of fat or histrionics. Rarely has so much emotion and excitement been compressed into 90 minutes of screen time." --Denis Seguin, Screen Daily
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Running Time: 93 Minutes
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Synopsis
Ben is different. His life is a universe all to itself, where he avidly plays his favorite on-line computer game in an attempt to train for and block out the reality of his daily experiences. Ben has Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism that prevents normal communication and makes him ideal fodder for all the school bullies. As the bullies' relentless attacks push him over the edge and out of control, his on-line dream girl, Scarlite, appears to him and helps him devise a perfect plan to confront the bullies and make them pay for their torment. Director Nic Balthazar's dazzling debut blends fantasy and harsh social realism, based on a true story, to bring us an utterly original and important film.
Technical Specifications
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Language: Flemish
Subtitles: English
Encoding: Region 1
Aspect Ratio: 1:1.85
DVD Special Features
Biographies of Director and Actors
Short Film: MY NAME IS LISA by Ben Shelton
To download: Click a image below for a full-sized image. Right click (or mac: ctrl + click) and select "Save this image as...", "Save picture as..." or "Download to disk".
Ben (Greg Timmermans) being tormented
Ben (Greg Timmermans) shooting a crossbow
Ben (Greg Timmermans) with Scarlite (Laura Verlinden) in his fantasy world
Ben (Greg Timmermans) and Scarlite (Laura Verlinden) overlooking the water
Ben (Greg Timmermans) and Scarlite (Laura Verlinden)
Ben (Greg Timmermans) with his animated avatar
Ben X poster (hi res)
A galvanizing portrait of autism and its profound impact on both the autistic person and their families and community, Ben X boldly melds virtual reality with live-action vérité style and docudrama to create what may be a new film grammar. Inspired by actual events – the suicide of a mildly autistic Belgian student who was virtually harassed to death - first-time director Nic Balthazar has adapted his book and his stage play without committing the sins of over-exposition and staginess those provenances can spawn.
--Denis Seguin/ Screen Daily - Review
The Best Teen Movie Since Donnie Darko.
--Brian Miller/Village Voice - Review
New York Magazine
Strong...A terrific cast!
--New York Magazine - Review
Jeff in Seattle - Customer Review Ben X is a great film! Ben X ia about an austictic teenager named Ben dealing with the constant teasing and bullying from his peers. "Asking and begging" for people to stop treating Ben as an outcast. Typically this falls on deaf ears. How does one bring about real change in society? Well, "somebody has to die". This is a great selection from Film Movement. If you are still interested in autism, check out Film Movement's documentary, "Her Name is Sabine" (Year 5, Film 11).
Based in New York City, Film Movement is a full service North American distributor of award-winning independent and foreign film. From traditional film distribution methods like the theatrical release, DVD sales, DVD rentals, and television to new and unique film distribution techniques like our Film Festival On Demand channel and our first of its kind film-of-the-month-club, Film Movement is making it easier for independent and international movie lovers from Alaska to Florida to see some of the world's award-winning cinema.
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