Meli Melo (2018)

Directed by: Julian Wolf | 19 minutes | drama, short film | Actors: Arber Aliaj, Tine Roggeman, Samy Filali, Ashley Ntangu

‘Meli Melo’ does justice to its title: Julian Wolf is an Amsterdam-born and raised filmmaker who is studying in Brussels at the LUCA, who is making his graduation film about a group of young people in Brussels; a true mix of cultures both in front of and behind the camera. The language spoken in this short film is therefore a mix of Flemish, French, Arabic and Surinamese.

Moktar (Arber Aliaj) is 27 and has no real purpose in life yet. His peer and best friend Felix (Samy Filali) also struggles with the future. He expects the quick money to be in store for him when he turns to drugs and hip-hop, but Moktar, called Mo by his friends, sees no point in that. The camera is also focused on blond Eva (Tine Roggeman), who is in a loosely committed relationship with Mo – firm enough to call her if he wants relief for his morning erection, not firm enough to introduce her to his Muslim- parents.

More atmospheric than anything actually happening, ‘Meli Melo’ is beautifully shot and edited. The natural-feeling conversations between the friends are usually about nothing, but every now and then something sensible is said and then the film makes more of an impression – enough to wish the filmmaker returned to see how this group is faring. You forget for a moment that it is fiction.