EXCLUSIVE: Putain, the Belgian drama series dubbed the “Brussels Euphoria,” is getting its international premiere at Series Mania, and you can watch exclusive clips from the show here.
In the first clip, we see Gigi (Liam Jacqmim) returning home to discover his mother, Anaïs (Liesa Van de Aa), is dating her ex, Fabrice (Roda Fawaz), who was also her past partner in drug addiction. Anaïs fails to reason with her angry son, who throws a cup at Fabrice and shouts, “He leaves or I leave. It’s one or the other. Choose.”
“That junkie has no say,” he says, as his mother counters Fabrice has been “clean for months.” “Clean? Look at his face, he’s not clean.” With no answer forthcoming, Gigi gets his coat and leaves, with Anaïs chasing behind shouting, “Stay! This is not a hotel. You don’t get to just walk in and out.”
The show, which features a mix of established and new talent, follows high school student Gigi and his friends after his decision to leave home and embark on an unexpected new chapter in a merciless and dangerous Brussels. Given the plotline, you get the Euphoria comparisons.
We’ve also got a second clip, in which Fabrice becomes an unwitting accomplice to a drive-by shooting. During a tense car scene, he attempts to prise information about an upcoming meeting before his passenger produces a handgun and fires at a group in a part from the window.
Jacqmim, Van der Aa (The Day) and Fawaz (1985) are all headed to France’s Series Mania later this month for the March 22 international premiere of Putain, which is for Belgian streamer Streamz. Also in attendance will be Felix Heremans (Holly), Hind, Victoria Djamusala, Laura Darnovsky, Roda Fawaz (1985) and Pierre Boeraeve, along with writer and co-creator Frederik Daem, director Deben Van Dam and producers Kristoffel Mertens & Kato Maes.
Daem and Gorik Van Oudheusden (also known as rapper Zwangere Guy) created the show, with Van Oudheusden creating the soundtrack. The screenplay comes from Daem, Van Dam and Nadège Bibo-Tansia. Panenka made the series support from the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) of the Flemish Minister for Media. Screen Flanders, Screen Brussels and the Belgian Tax Shelter program of the Belgian Federal Government also contributed to the budget.
The production team heads to Series Mania with an international distribution deal the next step in the show’s genesis, following its launch on Streamz in December, where it achieved the best opening weekend numbers on the platform, along with strong reviews.
The series comprises ten half-hours. It has been noted for its authentic street casting, with more than 60 actors in the show having never appeared on screen before. The process took more than 18 months to ensure diversity of voices and experiences.
The first four episodes of Putain will screen at Series Mania in the International Panorama sidebar.