Philippe

This story is about an autistic man, Philippe, who is an excellent cook. He lives with his half-sister, who constantly mistreats him. She allows him to live in her house only because she will receive an inheritance, as stipulated by their mother. It’s a Cinderella tale with a twist and a happy ending.

Directed by Bruno Ramsdonck, my colleague at the Academy of Arts, who asked me to be the Director of Photography (DOP) for this project. He helped me so much with my film, and of course, I was happy to return the favor. The shooting took much longer than expected, mostly because the actors (Bruno's family and friends) were volunteering in their free time, making it difficult to find a day when everyone was available. As a result, instead of completing the project in 10 shooting days over two months, we ended up filming across all four seasons—almost an entire year.

Special thanks to Warre Borgmans (the bakery boss) and Lara Dudek (Imke) – our two professional actors – for such a wonderful working experience!