Film silences can hinder a storyline or be the driving force behind the movie. In the case of Here, the latest work by writer/director Bas Devos (Ghost Tropic), it’s certainly the latter. The feature hinges on well-timed silences, a lot of sensitivity, serenity, and beautifully created scenes. Because Devos and his team bring all those aspects together in a minimalistic but still efficient way, Here becomes a peaceful, serene but flawed exploration of an unexpected new love.
Straight from the beginning, you’ll notice that Here isn’t driven by significant actions, words, or dialogues. No, Devos and cinematographer Grimm Vandekerckhove (Close) charmingly focus on the individuals, their gestures and movements. One of the people we encounter in this tranquil movie is the Romanian construction worker Stefan (Stefan Gota). We witness how he gets on with his daily life, from how he raids the fridge to cleaning it to observing his pre-work routine and, finally, seeing how he treats his co-workers to some homemade soup. Stefan goes places in this film, but there’s absolutely no rush. While we see how he has a quiet walk with friends, family, and co-workers, there aren’t many other people in Here.
That is until the forty-minute mark when Stefan meets Shuxiu (Liyo Gong), a Chinese-Belgian woman. Don’t expect these different people – she’s an academic studying moss and preparing for her doctorate while he’s ‘just’ a blue-collar construction worker – to fall in love instantly and declare their feelings for each other with big gestures. They do strike up a friendship that may or may not result in something more meditative, calm and unspoken.
From then on, the camera moves back and forth between the high buildings and construction sites on which Stefan works and the beautiful landscape when Shuxiu’s studying her mosses. Brussels certainly is the perfect location for a story like this as, despite being densely packed with high-rise buildings, the city has a lot of secret stunning nature spots to offer. In this environment, Devos leaves space for the audience to get slowly but steadily invested in the emotional story that unfolds in front of their eyes.
The beautiful story unfolds in a slow, ‘simple’ way. Still, the movie never becomes dull or too dragging because of the great combination of Vandekerckhove’s gorgeous work and the moving sound design by Brecht Ameel (Ghost Tropic). Vandekerckhove captures the duality between the city and nature using two camera setups (each for every aspect). When exploring Stefan’s life in a more static and natural, he follows the characters from normal distances. Capturing the natural words is done from a much closer distance. This microscopic way of shooting allows the audience to suck up the beauty nature has to offer. From the raindrop shaking on the edge of a leaf to the growing mosses, it all gorgeously comes to life. The vibrancy of the colours and the dynamic of natural life come through even more because of the dreamy and meditating atmosphere created by Ameel’s exquisite work.
Many films are ‘what you see, is what you get’, but that’s not entirely the case in Here. Devos subtly injects the storyline with many important messages. It’s about care and the search for identity and belonging. Throughout the movie, we see how Stefan’s preparing himself to move back to Romania, but once he meets Shuxiu, that move might not happen as he starts to doubt where he belongs. Does he go back to where he grew up, or does he stay in Belgium, his newfound home? This dilemma certainly keeps him awake for many sleepless nights. Despite thinking about leaving Brussels, Stefan still wants to show his love and care for the people around him. That’s why he shares his delicious soup with everyone that crosses his path.
Don’t expect a whole identity study, though. Despite these vital topics being very present in this movie, the many nature shots dominate them. Because of this, the film feels a bit flat and unexplored, and the performances from Gota (De Premier) and Gong are understated. If Devos had paid as much attention to this identity search as he did exploring nature, Here would have been much more impactful.
While Devos doesn’t entirely succeed in elevating those crucial messages, gripping storylines, and intriguing characters to a higher level, he knows how to portray the appreciation for the little things in life, such as caring for people and the beautiful nature, in a gorgeous and captivating way.
Here is currently playing in select US theaters courtesy of Cinema Guild.
While Devos doesn’t entirely succeed in elevating those crucial messages, gripping storylines, and intriguing characters to a higher level, he knows how to portray the appreciation for the little things in life, such as caring for people and the beautiful nature, in a gorgeous and captivating way.
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GVN Rating 7
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