Groenten uit Balen (film)

Groenten uit Balen
Film poster
Directed by	Frank van Mechelen
Starring	Stany Crets Evelien Bosmans
Release date	14 December 2011 (2011-12-14)
Running time	100 minutes
Country	Belgium
Language	Dutch

Groenten uit Balen (lit. 'Vegetables from Balen') is a 2011 Belgian drama film adaption of the book eponymous play by Walter van den Broeck. The overall story is based upon real events.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Synopsis

Family Debruyker lives in Balen in a rather poor neighborhood with outdated houses. Father Jan works at Vieille Montagne. When the workers find out that their colleagues at the sites in Hoboken and Liège earn 10 Belgian franc more per hour for similar work, they start a strike which takes nine weeks. Due to said strike they have no income at all. Jef Sleeckx, at that time only a local politician and member of the town council of Mol, convinces banks and landlords to temporarily suspend loans and rents. Local grocery stores give the strikers food for free and charities are set up. Meanwhile daughter Germaine is sure the local environment is poisoned with zinc and lead from the factories and that this is the cause of some health issues of the local population nearby. Germaine becomes pregnant with Luc's child but he ends the relationship. Germaine loses her job at the GB in Mol after she is caught stealing a box of chewing gum. Mother Clara visits Luc's wealthy parents with the intention that they must provide financial support for raising Luc and Germaine's child, but she is bribed with expensive chocolates and other niceties. Grandfather is against the strike as the workers should be happy to have a job and must undergo all decisions made by the board. In the end, the board of directors concedes and promises better conditions and pay than initially demanded.

Cast

• Stany Crets as Jan Debruycker
• Evelien Bosmans as Germaine Debruycker
• Tiny Bertels [nl] as Clara Debruycker
• Michel van Dousselaere [nl] as Opa Debruycker
• Clara Cleymans as Alice
• Herwig Ilegems [nl] as Rik
• Bart Hollanders [nl] as Luc Verheyen
• Veerle Dobbelaere [nl] as Mevrouw Verheyen
• Koen De Bouw as Mijnheer Verheyen
• Lucas Van den Eynde as Piet Populiers
• Axel Daeseleire as Marcel

References

1. Willocx, Christof (17 February 2020). "Jef Sleeckx (83) bracht heel wat stakingen tot een goed einde: "Wij dreigden ermee ratten los te laten"" [Jef Sleeckx (83) brought many strikes to a successful conclusion: “We threatened to release rats”]. Gazet van Antwerpen (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 16 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
2. Maes, Tommy (24 December 2011). "Staking Vieille Montagne was keerpunt voor Kempen" [Vieille Montagne strike was a turning point for Campine]. Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
3. "De staking bij Vieille Montagne is niet te vergelijken met die in Genk" [The strike at Vieille Montagne cannot be compared to the one in Genk]. De Morgen (in Dutch). 18 January 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
4. Maes, Tommy (22 November 2010). "Balen-Wezel keert terug naar woelige staking van 1971" [Balen-Wezel returns to the turbulent strike of 1971]. Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 16 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
5. Ons erfdeel [Our inheritance] (in Dutch). Stichting Ons Erfdeel. 2002.
6. De Roo, Marc (7 May 2022). "Zware vervuiling kost Umicore ruim 100 miljoen" [Heavy pollution costs Umicore more than 100 million]. De Tijd (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 16 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.

External links

• Groenten uit Balen at IMDb