>>LEES HIER DE VLAAMSE VERSIE<<
"Trizombie: Heroically Navigating Zombieland with an Extra Chromosome!" by Davy Bielen.
On Saturday, August 31 at 11:30 AM, a new Flemish zombie film will be shown exclusively at the BUT Film Festival under the ‘Bloody Belgium’ segment.
The idea originated from the mind of Lectrr, aka Steven Degryse, a cartoonist, columnist, and comic artist with a sharp satirical pen, known for his work in the Flemish newspaper De Standaard. Trizombie takes you into a pandemic-stricken world where everyone is affected by "the zombie disease"—except for people with Down syndrome (trisomy 21), who are immune.
A group of young people with Down syndrome is left to fend for themselves after their caregivers have perished. In a unique situation, they attempt to rescue their friend in distress during a perilous yet humorous journey through hordes of zombies. This Flemish production, filled with nods to Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead (2004), offers a fresh take on the zombie film subgenre.
Originally a mini-series of six episodes, each six to ten minutes long, on the streaming app VTM Go, the film will be shown as a feature-length presentation at the film festival. It is an accessible film where bloodshed is not avoided, but the focus is primarily on humor and humanity.
The lead roles are played by members of the theater company Theater Stap, a group of talented artists with disabilities. The screening will include a Q&A session with creator Lectrr and cast members Gitte Wens, Tineke van Haute, and Charlotte van den Bergh. I had the honor of playing a brief but memorable role as an ambulance zombie, alongside my friend and loyal BUT visitor, Maurice Kessels. For this article, I had an engaging conversation with creator Lectrr, director Bob Colaers, lead actors Gitte Wens, Tineke van Haute, and Charlotte van den Bergh, and zombie extra Maurice Kessels.
Where did the idea come from to have young people with Down syndrome face off against a horde of zombies?
Lectrr: 'The idea came about, like so many good ideas, completely unexpectedly and unintentionally. It started more than ten years ago as a wordplay joke during a barbecue on a weekend in the Ardennes with friends. Trisomy 21 is the genetic variation that causes Down syndrome. As the weekend progressed, the idea was discussed more and more, and it became clear to me that it was actually a unique and clever concept. But as a cartoonist, I had no idea how to start with film or TV. I mainly had experience writing scripts for comics and graphic novels, which is a whole different ball game. But once an idea nests in your brain, it doesn’t let go, and eventually, I had to toast to it and discuss it with more people. I kept pitching it, bothering people with it, until, to my surprise, the film finally came to be, complete with a red carpet premiere. The best part was that those same friends were there as well, more than a decade later, at the premiere during the Ostend Film Festival. For me, it was a triumph of the power of an idea: from a brainfart to a finished film, against all odds.'
It was initially set up as a series for the Flemish streaming app VTM Go, with six episodes of around 6 to 10 minutes each. Was this format the original idea, or did it go through multiple iterations?
Lectrr: 'It was a journey of more than ten years full of setbacks. From the start, it was always intended to be a film, and around 2019, I found a production company that was interested. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the first thing to be canceled was "Trizombie". That was a huge blow, as between 2015 and 2019, I had pitched the idea almost everywhere, without success. Only Mariano Vanhoof from Fobic Films saw its potential, until that strange virus threw a wrench in the works. In a blind panic, I emailed literally everyone, and in the months that followed, I held dozens of pitches, from very small production companies to even Woestijnvis. But at A Team Productions, there was an immediate connection. Not only had they previously made "Yummy" by director Lars Damoisaux, but they had also already shot a short film with people with Down syndrome, so they knew the challenges. And although they initially planned to take things easier, they decided to pick up the project after a Zoom meeting.'
Bob Colaers: 'The plan was always to turn this idea into a film, but it eventually ended up at VTM, who wanted to make it into a miniseries. During the writing process, we kept in mind that we also wanted to create a feature film from this miniseries. Personally, I think the film version works a bit better than the miniseries. The film version completely draws you into the story, whereas with the miniseries and the commercial breaks, you lose a bit of the magic.'
How many times did you have to pitch this idea to TV studios, and were they open to the concept? Did you encounter any obstacles?
Lectrr: 'Almost everyone thought the idea was brilliant, but nearly everyone also said it wasn't for them. There was very little willingness to walk the fine line that this project required. Networks were genuinely afraid to create something with people with Down syndrome that wasn’t feel-good TV. One network, I won't name names, had even agreed to it, but internally there was a rebellion against "Trizombie" because they felt they couldn't communicate it properly. Unfortunately, in the world of television, people often play it safe; if something hasn’t been done before, they prefer to stay far away from it.'
Did you have to make any concessions regarding mainstream accessibility?
Lectrr: 'Of course, but not so much in terms of horror. It was never my intention to turn the story into a hardcore gorefest. The core of the story revolves around humanity and, especially, the idea that deep down, even if someone has Down syndrome, we are all the same. The concessions were mainly budget-related: Trizombie is truly low-budget; we shot it with only a third of the original budget. The car in "Trizombie" was even borrowed from "Gangstas", the sequel to "Gangsta" (2018) by the directing duo Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi, who were planning to blow it up anyway. So, a lot of creativity, flexibility, and goodwill from the crew and the production house were needed to make this happen. There were some scenes that should have been bigger, but we lacked the funds.'
The screenplay was co-written by Lars Damoiseaux, also known as the director of the 2019 comedy zombie film set in a breast augmentation clinic, Yummy. How significant was his contribution to the project?
Bob Colaers: 'A Team Productions has known Lars for a while, thanks to the feature film "Yummy", which they made together. Lars was primarily brought in to support Lectrr during the writing process, particularly with the structure and similar aspects, as this was Lectrr's first time. When the initial drafts of the script were finished, I got involved, and they continued working with my feedback.'
Lectrr: 'I had never written a script for film or TV before, yet A Team Productions had the confidence to let me try. I thought it was quite risky and suggested we look for a writing buddy, maybe a co-writer. I never dreamed that Lars would get involved, because "Yummy" was one of the inspirations I used to pitch "Trizombie" to production houses: horror in Flanders—it can be done. After our first conversation, it quickly became clear that Lars would co-write. The synopsis and characters were already there, so the broad strokes came from me. But Lars has much more experience with timing and horror, so he often managed to turn something I wrote, which was just okay, into something quite brilliant. We took turns writing an 'episode' of the story and then swapped. Eventually, it became unclear who wrote what, but I know there are certain shots that I could never have come up with. It's clear: without Lars Damoiseaux, "Trizombie" would never have become what it is today.'
Had you long aspired to create a horror production? Are you a big horror fan?
Lectrr: 'I've been a regular attendee at FACTS in Ghent, Belgium, for almost 25 years now—the largest genre convention in Western Europe, you might say. So you can definitely say that I've been immersing myself in sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and all possible niches of those genres for a long time. So yes, horror was definitely on my wish list. I'm currently working on a science fiction project, so I can cross that off the list too. But my biggest dream is to return to the "Trizombie" universe. I have so many plans for it.'
Trizombie is actually Bob Colaers’ feature film directorial debut after the shorts Vagevuur and Cirque. You’ve also worked as a production coordinator on the horror film Duyster (2019) by Klokslag 12 alumni Jordi Ostir and Thomas Vanbrabant. What were the challenges for Trizombie?
Bob Colaers: 'The biggest challenge was to give this series the highest possible production value with the lowest possible budget. In addition, directing the actors was a significant challenge. During pre-production, I often drove to Theater Stap in Turnhout for rehearsals, readings, and more. My goal was to build a good relationship with our cast before filming, and that paid off. The shoot went very smoothly, thanks to the support from the Theater Stap team. What they do for those guys is incredible!'
Since this is a first season, the series/film ends with an open door for a sequel. Is there a future for Trizombie? Can we expect a continuation?
Lectrr: 'That was definitely the plan. In fact, the synopsis for the next season is ready, and I've already written the first episode. Unfortunately, VTM recently decided there won't be a second season. That's a shame because the universe behind it is so rich, and the possibilities are endless. So, I'm far from done telling this story. The film is just now starting its international tour, so hopefully, we'll find a good distributor, and a second film or season can still be realized.'
What reactions have you received from the audience so far, both in Flanders and abroad? What surprised you most about the responses?
Lectrr: 'The reaction was actually quite unanimously positive. Here and there, you can see that Slaughter and his friends have really captured the hearts of many people. The responses from the U.S. are particularly striking: we were a bit worried that it wouldn't be politically correct enough for the American market, but the opposite turned out to be true. The openness really stands out to me.'
Bob Colaers: 'The audience's reactions were very enthusiastic! It's wonderful to see that the film is being well received and that we are gradually being selected by various international film festivals.'
What do you hope viewers take away after watching Trizombie? Is there a specific message or theme you want to convey?
Lectrr: 'People with disabilities don’t always have to play the cutesy side roles; they are perfectly capable of carrying the lead. Talent is everywhere. The big question that "Trizombie" poses is: what is normal? We consider people with Down syndrome or any other disability as 'abnormal.' But by flipping the roles and making the 'normals' the zombies, we try to show that we are all driven by the same things: love, friendship, desire, and so on.'
Bob Colaers agrees: 'People with disabilities should not be seen as 'limited.' They often have more potential than you might think and deserve to be fully included in society, both in film and in real life.'
Addressed to lead actors Gitte Wens, Tineke van Haute, and Charlotte van den Bergh:
Were you not afraid of the zombies on set, or perhaps the intense scenes?
Tineke: 'Not really. I knew they weren’t real zombies. The only scene that was a bit scary was the fight scene with Koen (Stefan Perceval) in the car. Also, when I first saw the film, I found the scene where Erik bites Laila quite frightening. And the scene of me in the bathroom, when one of Koen’s eyes was peering through the keyhole, was also quite unsettling.'
Gitte: 'I was genuinely scared. Stefaan plays a zombie, and he got hold of me. That was pretty intense because he squeezed my throat. For a moment, I thought I was going to suffocate. I panicked and was on the verge of crying. But once I got home, the feeling passed.'
Charlotte: 'They looked dangerous, but I wasn’t afraid. I knew they were actors. It did get tense when they banged on the door and tried to get in. The car that crashed into the mailbox also seemed dangerous. And there’s a scene where I’m standing close to the edge of a roof; that was pretty scary too.'
How big was the step from theater to film for you, and what did you find most challenging or enjoyable?
Tineke: 'I’m not from the theater group; I participated in "Downside Up", a 15-minute short film by Peter Ghesquiere, and was later contacted by the production house to audition for "Trizombie".'
Gitte: 'I find film a bit more enjoyable than theater. It’s always with a lot of people, and you get to meet many new people, including zombies, who were actually really kind. Sometimes there wasn’t much time to rest, so we did get tired.'
Charlotte: 'There’s not much difference for me between theater and film. Theater is usually indoors, but the warm weather sometimes made it very exhausting. By the end, we were pretty worn out because the days were long.'
In the film, you’re protected by the tough character 'Slaughter', played by Jason Van Laere. What was it like working with this character, and did he feel like a real protector on set?
Tineke: 'Working with Jason, the Slaughter, was a lot of fun. Jason was a great colleague and friend. We each played our own roles; he didn’t need to protect me.'
Gitte: 'The Slaughter is really good at hitting zombies with a hammer. I felt safe with him. Without him, the zombies would have eaten us—not in real life, but in the film. Then I would have bled to death.'
Charlotte: 'The Slaughter protected us very well. We wouldn’t really have been eaten, but he helped us anyway. Jason plays a tough character and is also a tough actor with a warm heart.'
Directed to zombie extra Maurice Kessels:
How many shooting days did you have as a zombie, and what did a typical day on set look like for you?
Maurice: 'I was called in for three days of shooting for scenes around a house where the main characters were holed up. A day mostly consisted of waiting (laughs) until it was time for your zombie shuffling moment in a group. With those white zombie lenses in, everything looked very blurry. I had protein buildup on one lens, making me practically blind in that eye. I was heavily reliant on the director’s instructions to avoid bumping my face into things (laughs). But the worst part was the extremely sticky fake blood. I wore a T-shirt with a large logo on it, which, of course, isn’t allowed in a film production. So they decided to completely cover the logo with liters of sticky fake blood. It’s a miracle I managed to get the T-shirt completely clean afterward.'
How was it for you to be on set during Lectrr’s cameo in the series? Can you tell us something about that?
Maurice: 'The scene with Lectrr was set up so that his phone would go off and the sound would draw us towards him. However, we didn’t have that context since the ringtone was added later in post-production. The director's instruction was: 'Just stand around him and growl,' but we didn’t really know what we were doing (laughs). It made us quite confused, which actually worked out better for playing brainless, instinctive zombies with a hunger. We asked Lectrr what exactly the scene was supposed to achieve, and after his explanation, we got it.'
Do you want to meet the actors and creator Lectrr in person and see the undead versus Down syndrome youth in action on the big screen for a unique experience? Then make sure to come by the BUT Film Festival on Saturday, August 31, for the screening and a chat! It promises to be an uplifting experience!