Film details
- Director
- Michiel Geluykens, Manuel Janssens
- Country
- Belgium
- Duration
- 17 min
- Language
- Dutch
- Writer
- Michiel Geluykens, Manuel Janssens
- Producer
- Steven Dhoedt
- Cast
- Lucas Van den Eynde, Jos Verbist, Els Deceukelier, Fabrice Boutique, Vincent Van Sande, Tom Audenaert
Director’s statement
In "The Leader Will Come", we explore the intensifying polarization of society and how political figures worldwide are adeptly exploiting this divide for their own agendas. Across the globe, extreme viewpoints are gaining traction, bolstered by ‘strong’ and ‘charismatic’ leaders who harness widespread discontent to further their political interests. Figures like Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Marine Le Pen, Viktor Orbán, and Thierry Baudet rise in popularity by embracing divisive ideologies, encouraging discord, and shaping debates on critical issues like climate change, immigration, marriage equality, and abortion.
Set against this backdrop, our short film follows a populist politician who manipulates local fears when a refugee center is slated for their community. This portrayal of normalized racism and calls for action has severe consequences, becoming the starting point of our story. Yet, as creators, we’re driven to ask: *What happens when those who incite such hatred are held accountable?* Here, the narrative veers into a heightened, almost surreal turn, utilizing horror as a vehicle to deliver ‘poetic justice’—a fate rarely met by real-world perpetrators of such morally reprehensible acts. In our fictional universe, Tibo Deleyder’s fate is both visceral and symbolic, offering a cathartic moment where the villain finally faces his comeuppance. Speculative fiction to the highest degree.
We carefully considered how to depict the villagers entangled in this violence. While only a few, spurred by Deleyder, physically set fire to the asylum, the broader community’s guilt lies in their complete lack of empathy. The image of Broekem’s residents cheering as the refugee center burns underscores their cruelty and dehumanization—an unfortunately realistic portrayal. This film draws from actual events in 2019, when a refugee center in Bilzen, Belgium, was set ablaze; the perpetrators were never found.
"The Leader Will Come" is not a political pamphlet, nor an attempt to enforce left or right ideologies. Instead, it offers a unique perspective on the rift within society, the normalization of extremism, and the role of politicians in this trend. By steering a recognizable situation toward an unexpected and intense climax, we invite viewers to reflect on themes of racism, political influence, and extremism—and consider the potential consequences of a world where such ideologies go unchecked.
Synopsis
On a winter's evening, the inhabitants of the Flemish town of Broekem gather in the local parish hall to celebrate an important event: thanks to the help of local politician Tibo Deleyder they have succeeded in preventing a refugee centre from being built in their village. On this festive evening, Monique, the caretaker of the parish hall, will be serving them the classic carbonnade à la flamande. It promises to be an evening to remember...
Michiel Geluykens, Manuel Janssens
Director
Michiel Geluykens (b. 1989) is a freelance director based in Brussels. In 2013, he received his Masters in Audiovisual Arts from the Royal Institute for Theatre, Cinema and Sound (RITCS) in Brussels. Since then, he has been working as a director on his own short film projects, one of which, Destination Achieved (2018), won awards at national and international film festivals. He also regularly directs video content, including for the website of long running Belgian magazine Humo. In 2020 and 2021, he collaborated with animator Jango Jim on a series of animated shorts entitled ‘Bompa in quarantine’, about the COVID-19 health crisis and his
grandfather’s experience in a nursing home.
Manuel Janssens (b. 1992) is an Antwerp-based filmmaker who received his Masters in Audiovisual Arts from the Royal Institute for Theatre, Cinema and Sound (RITCS) in 2015. His undergraduate thesis Boules Of Death was selected for the national competition of the International Shortfilm Festival Leuven, and his master’s thesis film The Mythological Heist won awards at festivals abroad. In 2020 he made Komt dat Komt, a fictional project in collaboration with Arsenal/Lazarus and Robbin Rooze. It was a formal experiment somewhere between improvisation, theatre and film.
Manuel Janssens is currently writing the fiction series ‘5 Years’, selected as part of the concept workshop of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund. He is also the founder of a youth project in Deurne Noord called Cinedraries, where he makes a self-written short film every year with young people from the neighbourhood.