The Boy Is Gone
Christoph Bohn grew up during the sixties in Kortrijk a small Flemish town. However, German was the language spoken at home rather than Flemish. Christoph’s father originated from Eupen, in the German speaking part of Belgium. These ‘German-Belgian’, roots made his youth anything but easy: he was the ‘kraut’s’ kid.
One day, Christoph discovered something which turned his entire world upside down: an old photograph of his father as a fourteen year old in a German uniform, complete with a swastika arm band. They never talked about it. His father died in 2001, taking to his grave all his secrets.
Today Christoph Bohn returns to Eupen to investigate and disentangle his father’s true story and the history of the German speaking region. Using fascinating testimonies, unseen archive material and shockingly animated scenes, the web of this little known piece of history is unravelled in a riveting manner.
een aangrijpend persoonlijk verhaal over een onverwerkt familiaal verleden en tegelijk het veel te weinig bekende oorlogsverhaal van wat we nu de Duitstalige gemeenschap in België noemen - De Morgen
In de documentaire doorbreekt Bohn verschillende taboes en wordt, naast zijn persoonlijke verhaal, een beeld geschetst van de woelige oorlogsjaren die de bevolking van Eupen doormaakte - De Standaard
Le magazine "Fenêtre sur docs" s' est souvent illustré par la qualité de ses documentaires, mais celui-ci est exceptionnel - La Libre Belgique
directed by
Christoph Bohn
Voice-over
Valentijn Dhaenens
original script by
Christoph Bohn
Frederik Nicolai
voice-over text
Axel Dubus
Philippe Vanmeerbeeck
script doctor
Axel Dubus
art director animations
Steven Hermans
lead animator
Joris Berghmans
sound design & mix
Bart Jilesen
edited by
Remi van der Heijden
Peter Daniëls
head of animations
Anton Roebben
animators
Bartel Bruneel
Lois van Baarle
Marieke Verbiest
Simon Dupuis
Dirk Henrotay
Alexis Horellou
Maxime Vannienschoot
Dave Van Verdegem
Julien Regnard
animation studio
Walking The Dog
commissioning editors
Wilbur Leguebe
Reinhilde Weyns
Andre Sommerlatte
co-producers
Kathleen de Bethune
Marc Thelosen
Official Selection Docville 2012
Official Selection Filmfestival oostende 2012
an Off World production
in co-production with
Simple Production
seriousFilm (NL)
in co-production with
VRT-Canva
RTBF
BRF
with the support from
Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF|FILM)
the Netherlands Film Fund
le centre du cinéma et de l'audiovisuel de la communauté française de Belgique et de Voo.