Ben X (2007)

Director:

Nic Balthazar

Writer:

Nic Balthazar (novel)

Release Date:

26 September 2007 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Everything's dare

Plot:

As an alternative to getting bullied at school, an autistic teenager (Timmermans) retreats into the world of online role-playing games.

Plot Keywords:

Suicide | Role Playing Game In Film | Bullying | Internet | Autism

Awards:

5 wins

Cast

Greg Timmermans	...	Ben
Laura Verlinden	...	Scarlite
Marijke Pinoy	...	Mother
Pol Goossen	...	Father
Titus De Voogdt	...	Bogaert
Maarten Claeyssens	...	Desmedt
Tania Van der Sanden	...	Sabine
Johan Heldenbergh	...	Religion teacher
Jakob Beks	...	Metal teacher
Peter De Graef	...	Psychiater
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ivan Boeckmans	...	Cameraman
Dries Brouwers	...	Scarlite - game
David Callens	...	Ben X - game
Ron Cornet	...	School principal
Gilles De Schrijver	...	Coppola
Cesar De Sutter	...	Jonas
Wim De Witte	...	Doctor
Pieter Fret	...	Bogaert - game
Wim Vandekeybus	...	Horse man
An Van Gijsegem	...	Maaike

Runtime:

Belgium:93 min

Country:

Belgium | Netherlands

Language:

Dutch

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:12 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Dendermonde, Belgium

Company:

MMG Film & TV Production

Trivia:

Belgium's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008).

Movie Connections:

Remade as Untitled Ben X Remake (2009)

Ben X --> Avant Premiere Metropolis Belgium

Yesterday evening (20/09), I went to an avant premiere of Ben X. The cast (Greg Timmermans, Marijke Pinoy and Laura Verlinden) and director Nic Balthazar were also there and gave a short explanation about the movie and their experience making it.

I had multiple reasons to go see this film, First of all, I like the idea of using the gaming community (which is so common among us youngsters these days ) to illustrate ones need to escape the real world and enter their own. Secondly, I was curious about the performance of Greg Timmermans as Ben. I didn't know it was his first movie until he himself said it, moments before it began. And finally, the movie became very famous when winning at the World Filmfestival in Montreal.

Let me just say that this movie deserves every praise it got and will get. From beginning until end, you are moved by the world of Ben. His relation to his parents, "friends" , and the world itself.

He explains his feelings through his Gaming alter ego BenX in the game ArchLord, why he is who he is.

Everyone was touched, seeing this movie and we gave it a standing ovation during the credits.

So go see this movie if you can, it's definitely worth it and you won't be disappointed.

Greetings Rafke

P.S. : You don't have to be a "gamer" of just know a lot about gaming to understand this movie... everything is explained.