Jeroen Beker

A generation of young adults ponder their friendships, loves, expectations, and life ambitions while wandering the streets of a city that evolves at a faster rate than they mature in Dutch director David Verbeek's three-tiered look at life in the contemporary Chinese city of Shanghai. The first tale, a melancholy meditation on lost love, follows intelligent country-boy Xu Yu as the object of his affections drifts away after becoming enamored by the world of the nouveau riche and moving into a wealthy new district. Later, night owl hipsters Jenny and her boyfriend Calvin, a popular nightclub DJ, are troubled to learn just how temporary and vulnerable their vapid lifestyle truly is. The final story follows Dutch architect Jochem as he relocates to Shanghai and becomes enamored with an elegant and ambitious beauty named Zhang Yi. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A handful of people living in a Belgian suburb react in a variety of ways to news of a tragic accident in this multilayered drama. One evening, Francis (Johan Leysen) returns home from a long day at the office with a large dent on the front of his car and a clearly unsettled frame of mind, both of which are noted by his wife Ann (Johanna ter Steege). A few hours later, the body of a young boy is fund by the side of a nearby road by Christine (Ina Geerts), Francis and Ann's next door neighbor. The police are called, but by the time officer Mark (Peter Van den Begin) shows up, the child's body has gone missing, sending Christine into a panic, a situation made worse by a phone call from her ex-husband Fred (Robby Cleiren), who is deeply depressed and contemplating suicide. As the night wears on, Mark learns that one of his sons is missing, and may be the boy who Christine found earlier, but while his wife Gerda (Natali Broods) works as a cleaning woman for Christine, she finds it impossible to tell Gerda what she's seen, or about Francis's possible involvement. Meanwhile, Johnny the Flow (Jan Decleir), a washed-up fighter who lives in the neighborhood, had heard about the dead child and is certain he knows who is responsible -- Njord (Franck Chartier), a drifter with a history of mental illness. Een Ander Zijn Geluk (aka Someone Else's Happiness) was the first feature film from director Fein Troch. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A brush with death forces a man to come to terms with his family in this drama. Alex (Fedja van Huet) is a photographer who is still dealing with the emotional scars of his troubled adolescence, as well as the suicide of his father. Alex hasn't heard from his twin brother Aram (also played by van Huet) in years when he receives an unexpected call, with Aram informing him that their mother is dying and that he should come to the family estate, known as Amnesia, at his soonest convenience. Alex and his girlfriend Sandra (Carice van Houten) arrive at Amnesia to discover that his mother Eva (Sacha Bulthuis) is drinking heavily and in rapidly failing health; while petty criminal Aram has been hiding out at Amnesia after a run-in with the law, he hasn't been handling affairs especially well, and Alex steps in to take care of Eva and mind the house. As Alex deals with Eva's illness and his issues with his brother, he finds himself thinking of traumatic events from his childhood, putting long-buried emotions into a newly keen focus. Amnesia was the first feature film from writer and director Martin Koolhoven. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Inspired by Taiwanese directors Tsai Ming-liang and Hou Hsiao Hsien, co-directors Fow Pyng Hu and Brat Ljatifi spin this understated tale about Chinese immigrants torn between two cultures. Jacky (played by director Hu) is a railway beverage vendor in his 20s who has had every major decision chosen by someone else or by external factors. When his authoritarian mother arranges a bride to be shipped over from China for him to marry, he consents with no resistance. When his mom decides that his young wife Chi Chi (Eveline Wu) is not up to snuff, he passively lets judgement be passed. Nonetheless, when Chi Chi injures her foot, he shows her warmth and attention. This film was screened at the 2000 Rotterdam Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide