
Heleen Declerq
Director and photographer (1995)
Describe yourself, your background and what you do today.
I’m a Brussels-based director and photographer specialising in documentary filmmaking. As a kid, I was intrigued by my mother’s V8 camera. That’s when I made my first “documentary”. Back then I didn’t have much to film, except for kittens and the surrounding nature. Today, I’m still into the whole camera thing, but I’m more into human interest stories and visual portraits. I portray people who I would love to understand more; people who can make me and others smarter with their story. Ironically, I’m not that much into books or movies, so this is my way of understanding the world better. I love making documentaries because I can reach people who had the same questions as I did. I think the world is made more beautiful through my film and photo lenses than through my eyes, and I love trying to show this view to other people.
How has Brussels shaped you as an individual as well as your professional activities?
Brussels has always been a challenge to me, but not always in a bad way. I think Brussels can be very chaotic and hectic. I sometimes struggle with the duality of the love I have for the city and the chaos that prevails here. Sometimes I just need some rest and I think it’s difficult for me to find it in the city that I love. At the same time, this chaos is what drives me: it’s a big source of inspiration and there’s always something happening. It’s also easy to meet interesting people in Brussels, because it’s easier to approach someone with a drink in your hand, and I’m much more sociable when I drink anyways!
List three things you like the most about Brussels.
- I like cycling downhill in Brussels, but I hate going up. That’s why I go up with the metro and go down with my bike.
- I love how everyone is being creative in their own way without always seeing it as a big business. I know people who keep lots of nice artwork in their house without minding if no one ever sees them. They make art for themselves, as a form or therapy or something.
- The city’s cafés when they close their curtains: that’s when the parties really begin.
I sometimes struggle with duality of the love I have for the city and the chaos that prevails here.
List three favourite bike routes in Brussels.
- From the Palace of Justice to Dansaert.
- The pedestrian zone by night.
- From Duden Park to Dansaert.