Hugo Roelandt — The End Is a New Beginning
(c)videostill: Hugo Roelandt, 1971 - Courtesy Estate Hugo Roelandt, Antwerp
Een dag in het leven van een ster / A Day in the Life of a Star, 1971
For the film A Day in the Life of a Star, Hugo Roelandt directed his friend Alain Mathijssens, capturing the decadent, cabaret-like atmosphere of ‘20s and early ‘30s Berlin. Inspired by figures like Marlene Dietrich, the film also reflects the openness of expressing sexuality that characterised the ‘70s. The film draws inspiration from Andy Warhol’s non-narrative works such as Sleep (1964), which focus on mundane activities and stillness. Both Hugo Roelandt and Alain Matthijssens were part of the cabaret group Kiek, blending music and theatre in a camp aesthetic. They were part of the artistic scene surrounding Antwerp’s experimental, artist-run space Ercola in the ‘70s, which brought together students from both the Royal Academy and the University of Antwerp.
