Zot van A

The last couple of years, the Flemish film industry has been making really good films, which have won more than one award internationally. Just think of ‘The Broken Circle Breakdown’ which has been gathering one prize after the other.

Yesterday evening I watched another of these great movies. It’s titled Zot van A and it is a film by Jan Verheyen. A little word of explanation. ‘Zot van a’ is a Flemish expression, typical for the town of Antwerp, and means: I’m crazy about you. The ‘A’ in the title also stands for the names of some of the main characters, all beginning with ‘a’ and of course this letter is also the symbol of the town of Antwerp.

So what is the film about? It is in fact a feel good movie, one that makes you laugh and weep away a tear.

 

Anna divorced Bruno because he had an affair with their son Boris’ school teacher. Anna tries to live as a single mother, but it doesn't work out. Even taking a younger lover won't work. Anna is jealous of Lydia, her best friend. The marriage of Arno and Lydia, Anna’s best friend, appears to be perfect – but is it really so?

Alain and Fred are a gay couple who plan to get married. But something happens in church… Fred feel insecure because he doesn't have a family, unlike Alain. Fred's father left home when the kid was only 3 years old.

Alain's sister,Astrid, works in a jewelry shop and dreams of meeting the knight on his white horse. But when the country’s most wanted bachelor makes advances, she doesn’t get his meaning…

And finally there’s Annette, who works for a TV channel and finds her true love when she goes in search of a new Sante Claus (because the actor who always performed the role died just before the show).

Zot van A is a film about men and women, about fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and love, of course. Because love is everywhere, and we all want it. But love is like Santa Claus. You have to believe in it, otherwise it won’t work.