The Misfortunates

Dirk Impens - producer

Dirk Impens started his career in 1981, working in the theatre as the manager of the International New Scène. Until 1985 he toured in Belgium and Europe with all kinds of productions. Next, he started working as the production leader at Multimedia (now Eyeworks), which was lead by Erwin Provoost, among others.

In 1989 Impens started his own production shop, named Favourite Films, later Menuet. Since that time he has been one of the most active independent producers in Flanders. After his first full-length movie, 'Blueberry Hill,' he produced ‘Daens’, a Belgian historical epic and it immediately hit bull's-eye. ‘Daens’ (Stijn Coninx) was nominated as Best Foreign Film at the Oscars© in 1993.

It wasn't just ‘beginners luck’, because the next film, ‘Manneken Pis’ (Frank Van Passel), was selected for the 'Semaine de la Critique' in 1995.

At the same time he produced some 20 full-length films and various TV series, including: ‘Left Luggage’ (Jeroen Krabbé), ‘Kongo’ (Vincent Rouffaer), ‘Alles moet weg’ (Jan Verheyen), ‘Terug naar Oosterdonk’ (Frank Van Passel), ‘Licht’ (Stijn Coninx), ‘Team Spirit’ (Jan Verheyen), ‘Villa Des Roses’ (Frank Van Passel), ‘Steve + Sky’ (Felix van Groeningen), ‘Katarakt’ (Jan Matthys and Stef Desmyter), ‘Dagen zonder lief’ (Felix van Groeningen).

The Alasness of Things is the third cooperative effort by Dirk and Felix – not counting the year at school where Impens taught Felix. Dirk is Felix' biggest fan and vice versa.

The selection for the Directors’ Fortnight is undoubtedly the pinnacle of their intense and exciting cooperation and the close friendship they developed over the years.