Didier and Elise’s relationship is stormy and passionate; it’s love at first sight. Didier plays the banjo in a bluegrass band, lives in a caravan in the Belgian countryside and idolises America as the ‘land of the free’. Elise owns her own tattoo parlour. Her body is plastered with images – little mementos of past lovers whose names have been carefully covered up by new tattoos. Before long their two lives are closely intertwined. Elise sings in Didier’s band and they soon have a daughter together, little Maybelle, with whom they move into a lovingly if unconventionally restored country house. Unfortunately, Maybelle, at six years old, becomes seriously ill. Didier and Elise respond in very different ways. But Maybelle does not leave them any choice. Didier and Elise will have to fight for her together.
Will you get through something like that if you are so different? Or will love let you down if you need it most? The Broken Circle Breakdown is an intense melodrama, full of passion and music. About how love can conquer fate, and sometimes not.
Director - Felix Van Groeningen
Script - Felix Van Groeningen, Carl Joos, based on a play by Johan Heldenbergh, Mieke Dobbels
Camera - Ruben Impens
Music - Bjorn Eriksson
Cast - Veerle Baetens, Johan Heldenbergh, Nell Cattrysse, Geert van Rampelberg, Nils de Caster
Producer - Dirk Impens
Berlin’13 – Label Europa Cinemas, Panorama Audience Award
CPH:PIX’13 – Politiken's Audience Award
European Film Awards’13 – Best Actress (Veerle Baetens), Nominated Audience Award, Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Johan Heldenbergh), Best Screenwriter
Festróia - Tróia IFF’13 – „Golden Dolphin” for Best Film
Hawaii IFF’13 – Euro Cinema Hawaii Award for Best Film
Karlovy Vary’13 – Nominated for Audience Award
Norwegian IFF’13 – Audience Award
Palic FF’13 – Nominated „Golden Tower” for Best Film
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards’13 – Nominated „SDFCS Award” for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Score
Satellite Awards’14 – Nominated „Satellite Award” Best Motion Picture, International Film
Sydney’13 – Nominated Official Competition Award Best Film
Tallinn Black Nights FF’13 – Nominated Audience Award
Tribeca’13 – Best Actress (Veerle Baetens), Best Screenplay, Nominated Best Narrative Feature
Vancouver’13 – Nominated Most Popular Film Washington DC Area Film Critics Association
