QUICK’N DIRTY: LIVE FROM BERLIN

The year is 1999 and the world is grappling with the Millennium Bug (the global fear that computers could crash collectively at the turn of the century). Two gentleman are about to experience a far more destructive and certain fate.

Geert (Arieh Worthalter) is very handsome, and with irresistibly tender eyes. Luc (Jan Hammenecker) is chubby and far less charming, however outspoken and charismatic. Geert is gay with a gorgeous toy boy half his age. He is friendly with his ex-wife and daughter (homophobia is not a topic, perhaps because Belgium was about to legalise gay marriage at the time, the second country in the world to do so). Luc is happily married to Alma, enjoying a far more traditional private life. Despite their differences, our two protagonists make the perfect business partners. They developed a voice recognition software with intuitive features guaranteed to revolutionise the IT industry and make them rich. Industry stakeholders watch in awe as they unveil the new product during a corporate presentation. It’s the first time many people watch as a computer picks up and actions the spoken word.

It would all look very promising if a nosey American journalist didn’t throw a spanner into their works. The man discovered that Geert and Luc inflated their assets in order to please stakeholders, while also operating a number of ghost companies. He ambushes the unsuspecting businessmen in the toilet and breaks the news with sadistic fervour. The two poor crooks are left with just 36 hours before the story goes to print and their lives are turned upside down. A police visit and handcuffs are guaranteed to follow. So they set out to make the most of the little time remaining, while also vouching for the safety and the financial stability of their loved ones. Alma seems unexpectedly aware of the events, and strangely placid.

The two men both ponder a runner, but the odds of being caught seem just too great. Plus there may not be a “developed” country where they would be safe from extradition. Much of the action takes place under heavy rain. The water brings neither cleaning nor redemption. Luc gets literally stuck in the mud more times than one, in the literal and the figurative sense. Geert attempts to minimise the damage by shredding much of the evidence of wrongdoing and throwing it inside a large swimming pool, where his lover can be found swimming naked.

Both businessmen are genuinely sad, and strangely compassionate of others. – not what most people would expect from corrupt entrepreneurs. Some of the interactions are genuinely moving. Geert is kind and generous to his lover, and his devotion to his family is beautiful – even if his ethics are highly questionable. Luc works hard to forge a sense of normalcy at home, and to ensure that his family remain safe and sound. Despite their misgivings, these two people have a heart. And a libido: they seek to satisfy their sexual needs before the inevitable comes.

The tone of the story is sombre and the pace is slow. Unlike the protagonists, the filmmaker is under no time pressure, and she can quietly erect her narrative arc. So she allows the story to roll near into the two-hour mark. The cinematography is dark, much like the gloomy weather. This is contrasted against the touches of tenderness. The aim of the creators is neither the romantisation of criminal behaviour nor the celebration of toxic masculinity (it’s worthwhile pointing out that the film director Anke Blondé is a woman). This is simply the humanisation of fallible capitalists.

All in all, Dust is a vaguely humanistic crime drama. An unhurried and heartwarming watch.

Dust just premiered in the Official Competition of the 76th Berlinale.