Bio-Filmography
Born in Liège, November 13, 1969.
Pierre-Yves Vandeweerd is a Belgian filmmaker. His films belong to the reality cinema genre and, for the most part, have been shot in Africa — in Mauritania (Nemadis, the Years Without News / Racines lointaines (Far Away Roots) / Le Cercle des noyés (Drowned in oblivion)), in the Western Sahara (The Dormants / Territoire perdu (Lost Land)), in the Sudan (Closed District).
Conceived out of an encounter — and, at times, a confrontation — with reality, his work attempts to weave bonds between men and the world, between singular and universal stories. At once esthetic, philosophical and political, his films are explorations of the world and its stakes, of existence here and somewhere else.
After studying Information, Journalism and Communication, as well as Anthropology and African Civilizations, Pierre-Yves Vandeweerd worked as a teaching assistant on the Université Libre de Bruxelles’ Faculty of Philosophy and Litterature until 2003.
From 2004 to 2008, he developed and ran Cinéma(s) d’Afrique(s), an annual documentary film writing and directing residency for young Senegalese filmmakers. That project was a joint effort between the French Community of Belgium, the Walloon Region and the government of Senegal.
From 1998 to 2008, he served as co-director of Filmer à Tout Prix, the French Community of Belgium’s biennial documentary film festival.
Since 2008, he has been professor at the IHECS (Institut des Hautes Etudes de Communication Sociale), in Brussels.
Since 2010, he has served as artistic director of the Fragments d’une oeuvre collection published by Doc Net Films Editions, in France.
As of 2011, he will oversee the Viewing experiences section of the Etats Généraux du Documentaire film festival, in Lussas, France.
- TERRITOIRE PERDU (Lost Land) / 74 minutes / Super 8 / Color & Black-and-White / 2011
- LES DORMANTS (The Dormants) / 65 minutes / Super 8 & HD Cam / Color & Black-and-White / 2009
- LE CERCLE DES NOYES (Drowned in oblivion) / 74 minutes / HD Cam / Black-and-White / 2007
Official selection of the Berlin International Film Festival – Forum section
• 1st Prize, Ecrans Documentaires de Arcueil (France)
• FIPRESCI Prize, Fribourg International Film Festival (Switzerland)
• Ecumenical Prize, Fribourg International Film Festival (Switzerland)
• FICC Prize for distribution support, Fribourg International Film Festival (Switzerland)
- CLOSED DISTRICT / 55 minutes / Beta Digit / Black-and-White / 2004
• 1st Prize, Escales Documentaires de La Rochelle (France)
• 1st Prize, Quintessence Festival in Ouidah (Benin)
• Best Film on the Memory of Human Rights, 4th International Film Festival on Human Rights (Paris)
• Special Mention by the FIPA jury, Biarritz
- RACINES LOINTAINES (Faraway Roots) / 16mm / 75 minutes / Color / 2002
• 1st Prize, RECIDAK (Rencontres cinématographiques de Dakar)
• Feature Film Prize, Rencontres Cinématographiques de Cerbère
- NEMADIS, DES ANNEES SANS NOUVELLES (Nemadis, The Years without news) (co-directed with Benoît Mariage) / 52 minutes / Beta digit / Color / 2000