Page 82 - Alternative Europe Eurotrash and Exploitation Cinema Since 1945

FIGURE 8 The 'guerilla style' look of .5.

position by the filmmakers on the themes. In several interviews Henderickx explicitly addresses this
connection. When critics ask him if it was really necessary to use such explicit imagery, Henderickx
makes a reference to the Affaire by stating that, 'Yes, because that's what happens in real life.' 4 He
additionally expresses his attitude towards it by saying that 'unless you're a moron, you can't walk
through life pretending nothing's wrong'. Apart from describing the film as 'a search of young people
for happiness', Henderickx further identifies S. as 'a comment on our voyeuristic society', thus
including the self-referentiality of the film in the critique it forms of the Dutroux context.5
However, it is strange to find no reference to the Affaire in the press kit or any other release
materials surrounding the film. Instead of politicising it, the degree of sex and violence in the film is
put in an exploitative framework, with Belgian director Marc Didden identifying the film in the press
notes as an 'erotic road-movie'.6 The national reception of the film, too, tried to avoid making the
connection with the Affaire as much as possible. The opening of the film (including a gala screening
at the Gaumont cinema in Antwerp) generated a lot of media attention, and S. was widely publicised
on national television, even in political talk shows. However, the interest quickly disappeared after
the release. Eventually, S. played in national cinemas for only two to three weeks, drawing no more
than 20,000 viewers.
The video release by Polygram a year later drew even less attention, although more than 1,000
copies of the film were circulated. Similarly, the prevalent position among national film critics was
one of disregard. In most cases, reviews referred to the film as having laudable intentions, being
radical and raw in its look (with some implying that this was the result of its lack of budget). Some

68