Feast

a film by

The Netherlands / 83' / 01/2021 / fiction

Based on the infamous Groningen HIV case, in which three men drugged other men and infected them with their own HIV-infected blood, Feast is a bold and provocative film that skillfully reflects the questions of life, death and morality that have emerged from one of the most shocking stories in contemporary Dutch life.

Unfolding over seven individual vignettes, each directed by Tim Leyendekker but shot in collaboration with a diverse range of cinematographers, Feast blends reportage and surrealism, disbelief and empathy to unpack the repercussions and reverberations of a singularly shocking series of events.

“Haunting, unnerving, unforgivably clever; Tim Leyendekker’s docufiction Feast (2021) is an intense glimpse into the price of love.”
Square Eyes - 21_officialselection_0
Square Eyes - Palme_international_selection_noir_2021
Square Eyes - 2021DokuFest laurel BLACK
“Haunting, unnerving, unforgivably clever; Tim Leyendekker’s docufiction Feast (2021) is an intense glimpse into the price of love.”
Square Eyes - 21_officialselection_0
Square Eyes - Palme_international_selection_noir_2021
Square Eyes - 2021DokuFest laurel BLACK

Tim Leyendekker

Biography

Tim Leyendekker (1973, the Netherlands) is an artist based between Rotterdam and Strasbourg. He received an MFA from the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam. His films contain a palpable trace of its creation process, engaging the viewer to critically relate to the construction of the work itself. His work has been shown in several major galleries and festivals around the world such as IFFR, the Power Plant (Toronto), EMAF (Osnabrück), Centre Pompidou (Paris) and Loop Barcelona. His most recent film Blinder was nominated for a Tiger Shorts award in Rotterdam and was awarded the main prize at the inaugural edition of Moscow International Experimental Film Festival. Leyendekker also works as a producer for other artists’ work and as an independent film programmer, curating a monthly program at WORM (Rotterdam), and other venues.

Filmography

  • Feast – 2021 – feature
  • BLINDER – 2015 – short film
  • The Healers – 2010 – short film
  • Opening night – 2009 – short film
  • Still – 2006 – short film
  • How The West Was Won And Where It Got Us – 2003 – short film
  • (hectaren) – 2001 – short film
Square Eyes - photo by Frank Hanswijk
photo by Frank Hanswijk

Crew

Director: Tim Leyendekker
Screenplay: Tim Leyendekker, Gerardjan Rijnders
Producer: Marc Thelosen, Koert Davidse, Tim Leyendekker
Production company: seriousFilm, absent without leave
Cinematographer: Benito Strangio, Adri Schrover, Reinier van Brummelen, Boris van Hoof, Claire Pijman, Aafke Beernink, Robijn Voshol
Sound Recording: Gerben Kokmeijer, Jeroen Leemans
Sound Design: Hugo Dijkstal
Editor: Matte Mourik, Tim Leyendekker
Production Designer: Diana van de Vossenberg
Cast: Kuno Bakker, Oscar van den Boogaard, Sanne den Hartogh, Koen van Kaam, Trudi Klever, Eelco Smits, Maureen Teeuwen, Hans J., Bert Luppes, Katerina Seneti, Vincent van der Valk

Festivals

  • International Film Festival Rotterdam, the Netherlands (1 – 7 February, 2021)
    Tiger Competition
  • Cinéma du Réel, France (12 – 21 March, 2021)
    International Competition Won: Loridan-Ivens / Cnap Award for Best Debut Feature
  • Kino Pavasaris – Vilnius Film Festival, Lithuania (18 March – 1 April, 2021)
    European Debut Competition Special Mention
  • Movies that Matter, the Netherlands (16 – 25 April, 2021)
    Dutch Movies Matter
  • Bildrausch – Filmfest Basel, Switzerland (16 – 20 June, 2021)
    International Competition
  • Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, Greece (24 June – 4 July, 2021)
    Film Forward Competition
  • DOKUFEST – International Documentary and Short Film Festival, Kosovo (6 – 14 August, 2021)
    Feature Competition
  • Moscow International Experimental Film Festival, Russia (11 – 16 August, 2021)
    Official Selection
  • XPOSED Queer Film Festival Berlin, Germany (11 – 15 August, 2021)
    Official Selection
  • FIC Monterrey, Mexico (19 – 26 August, 2021)
    Official Selection Won: Best International Feature
  • Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival, United Kingdom (13 – 30 September, 2021)
    New Cinema Competition
  • Split Film Festival, Croatia (15 – 19 September, 2021)
    Feature Competition
  • Festival MIX Milano, Italy (17 – 20 September, 2021)
    Feature Film Competition Won: Best Feature Film
  • Taipei Film Festival, Taiwan (23 September – 7 October, 2021)
    New Talent Competition
  • Reykjavík International Film Festival, Iceland (30 September – 10 October, 2021)
    Dutch Focus
  • UNDERDOX, Germany (7 – 13 October, 2021)
    Official Selection
  • Chicago Underground Film Festival, United States (5 – 7 November, 2021)
    Competition Honorable Mention
  • TLVFest – Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival, Israel (11 – 20 November, 2021)
    Official Selection
  • Pink Screens Brussels Queer Film Festival, Belgium (12 – 21 November, 2021)
    Official Selection
  • Kassel Documentary Film and Video Festival, Germany (16 – 21 November, 2021)
    Competition
  • Chéries Chéris, LGBT Film Festival Paris, France (20 – 30 November, 2021)
    Documentary Program
  • FIDBA International Documentary Film Festival, Argentina (2 – 12 December, 2021)

Password




Press materials

EPK: Click here

Stills, poster & director’s photo: Click here

Dialogue list English: Click here

Downloadable trailer: Click here

Excerpts: Click here

 

 

 

Press quotes

“At every point, Feast pulls back from the expectations of narrative satisfaction to give the viewer a multitude of perspectives on one incident. It’s less like Rashomon than an internet deep dive, where differing sources on the same event merge into one holistic view.”
Review: Feast – BP Flanagan – The Upcoming

“Haunting, unnerving, unforgivably clever; Tim Leyendekker’s docufiction Feast (2021) is an intense glimpse into the price of love. ”
Review: Feast – IFFR – Alex Matraxia – UK Film Review

“Leyendekker’s reflection on desire, free will and consent becomes more and more ambitious and ultimately poignant. ”
Review: Feast – Gregory Coutaut – Le Polyester

“Queer theorist David Halperin has argued that gay men who practise unsafe sex are simply responding to the shame placed on them, trying to turn stigma into punk defiance of social norms. Feast goes further, intimating that far from aberrant, their acts might be an extreme and troubling symptom of some of the most celebrated ideas of love and care. ”
‘Feast − Imitation of Love – Paul Clinton – Essay for IFFR 

Interview: ‘Feast’ Director: I Hope Film Sheds a Light on New Ways We Talk About Viruses – Ann-Marie Corvin – Variety

Interview: Tim Leyendekker • Director of Feast – Marta Bałaga – Cineuropa