King of the Belgians

2016 1h 34m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 59

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The King of the Belgians is on a state visit in Istanbul when his country falls apart. He must return home at once to save his kingdom. But a solar storm causes airspace and communications to shut down. No planes. No phones. With the help of a British filmmaker and a troupe of Bulgarian folk singers, the King and his entourage manage to escape over the border. Incognito. Thus begins an odyssey across the Balkans during which the King discovers the real world - and himself.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Peter van den Begin
Nicolas III
Lucie Debay
Louise Vancraeyenest
Titus De Voogdt
Carlos
Bruno Georis
Ludovic Moreau
Goran Radaković
Dragan
Pieter van der Houwen
Duncan Lloyd
Nina Nikolina
Ana
Valentin Ganev
Kerim Bulut

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Peter Brosens
Writers: Jessica Hope Woodworth, Peter Brosens
Languages: Bulgarian, French, English, Dutch
Countries: Bulgaria, Belgium, Netherlands

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 10 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Bulgarian, French, English, Dutch.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Bulgaria, Belgium, Netherlands.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Peter Brosens, shot by Ton Peters. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor David Verdurme shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Peter van den Begin and Lucie Debay and Titus De Voogdt carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt4818804 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 59 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Peter Brosens directs. Ton Peters behind the camera. David Verdurme cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Bulgaria, Belgium, Netherlands. Dialogue in Bulgarian, French, English, Dutch.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 10 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Bulgarian, French, English, Dutch.
3International production across 3 countries: Bulgaria, Belgium, Netherlands.
4Directed by Peter Brosens, shot by Ton Peters. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor David Verdurme shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Peter van den Begin and Lucie Debay and Titus De Voogdt carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt4818804 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 59 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ton Peters
Editing: David Verdurme
Production design: Sabina Christova
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: King of the Belgians (2016)

Also by

Peter Brosens

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

deepkino2025-07-03
★ 7/10
Besides being a sweet, pastoral mockumentary that doesn't tire the viewer, it's a work that lightly touches upon some of the impasses in the Balkans and Western Europe! Its significant distance from cliché Hollywood films is an added plus.

Production companies