Home, 11min., Belgium
Directed by Hanne Schillemans, Ralph Timmermans
Home is a short film about the fragility of life and the virtue of solitude. A faceless figure attempting not to resist the endless waves of pointlessness.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1.What motivated you to make this film?

Home grew out of a shared fascination with the fragile, often uncomfortable terrain of solitude. We were both navigating a kind of existential tension: the absurdity of life, and the strange peace that can arise when one stops resisting it. The idea that everything is ultimately out of one's control and perhaps even pointless and the realization that this, paradoxically, can be liberating. That thought, oddly enough, gave us comfort. The film became a way to give form to that feeling.

2.From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

It's hard to say exactly when the idea began. We think Home found us during a hike through desolate nature, when we unexpectedly came upon an empty house. It felt like stumbling into the middle of a concept. We didn't plan it, we just recognized it. From that moment to the final cut, the process took about 18 months. Much of that time was spent letting the idea unfold, allowing it to simmer before taking shape.

3. How would you describe your film in two words?

Existential surrender

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

The most significant challenge was trusting enough emptiness into the film. We are often conditioned, especially in film, to fill gaps, explain, dramatize, entertain. But Home demanded restraint. We felt that allowing the film to breathe, and not over-directing it, was both difficult and essential.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

It was moving to hearing how the different viewer had a personal, often emotional responses and interpretations. We come from dance and music, so it was rewarding to see how those languages translated to the screen and how they resonated with an audience across the world, in Toronto.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

There wasn't a single moment, it was more like a slow unfolding. With our backgrounds in dance and music, we've always worked with time, space, rhythm, and emotion. Film felt like a natural evolution, a vast canvas that could hold all our interests and sensibilities in one place.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Honestly... for Hanne it's probably Dumbo. As a child, she watched it so often that it had to be banned at some point. Every time she saw it, she cried uncontrollably, moved by the unjust treatment of the little elephant and his mother. And yet, she kept watching it again and again, perhaps needing to feel those emotions repeatedly. As a child, me (Ralph) and my friends would often get lost in the adventures of Marty McFly and Luke Skywalker. I'm not sure which of the two films I watched more, Back to the Future or Return of the Jedi, but I've easily seen each of them over ten times. I'm still working on that time machine...and practicing my Jedi skills, mostly so I can go back and rescue Dumbo and his mother. ;-)

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

We'd love to see more opportunities for interdisciplinary conversations. Events that foster artistic exchange between filmmakers, performers, musicians, philosophers, scientists. Less about networking, more about community and curiosity. Also, support for experimental work through residencies or labs would be valuable, especially for those of us working outside conventional formats.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experience been working on the festival platform site?

It's been straightforward and convenient. The platform makes it fairly easy to discover festivals aligned with our artistic values.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Something slow-cooked and with an aftertaste

11. What is next for you? A new film?

Between the two of us, creativity is always in motion. Ralph is working on a new music album, and I (Hanne) am performing and creating in various formats. Together, we're dreaming up a new project where video and live performance intertwine. We're not entirely sure what it will become yet, but the wave is moving, and we're riding it.