07/05/2024 - In his debut documentary feature film, Cédric Gerbehaye delivers a rare and in-depth immersion into a prison environment

Multi-award-winning photojournalist Cédric Gerbehaye is trying his hand at documentary-making to offer up Emperors of Nothing, an impressive immersion into prison conditions, which will be distributed in Belgium on 8 May by Dalton Distribution. For 6 years, he followed the lives of those who live and work within the walls of three Brussels-based prisons, at a turning point in the history of these establishments, namely in the aftermath of a mass strike in protest against prison conditions, against a sense of isolation which has worsened since Covid, and the closure of these prisons to create one super-prison on the outskirts of Brussels. Combined, these various elements highlight the wider societal issues caused by the collective management of prison-related matters.

The film opens with a majestic shot, which is enhanced by high-contrast monochrome, exploring a dilapidated building which almost feels like a haunted house. As the days pass, the filmmaker captures sorrow, disillusionment and resignation just as much as the fragile moments of joy which sometimes shine through like sparks: a man crying, a prisoner giving birth to twins, a reassuring presence in the visiting room, liberating lyrics...

First, we take a deep dive into the private worlds of the inmates, when they’re shaving, smoking, eating, dreaming and going round in circles. We mostly observe solitude, and the occasional glimpse of a sense of community which restores humanity to this often dehumanising setting. "I feel hemmed in, like a caged animal", one of the prisoners cries. We’re as up-close and personal as we can get to the worries of these men and women. Alongside them, we feel the suspended nature of time spent away from the world and society. Moreover, the film lingers on the relocation of the prison, which will be pushed out of the town onto the periphery, risking even greater alienation for these prisoners whose social roots are already frail.

Emperors of Nothing also explores the sorrows of those working in the prisons: the wardens and the director who accompany these prisoners through the judicial process and whose humanity is praised by the community.

Just as the film doesn’t focus on the reasons for these men and women being in prison, its context is only ever suggested by TV or radio programmes watched and listened to by the prison employees and inmates, making rather clever use of these various media outlets and avoiding overly lengthy explanations. The story navigates the tension and outbursts of despair which punctuate prison life, as well as its moments of grace: an ethereal voice, a letter to a son, children who light up adults’ faces which are as if suspended in the darkness of the prison. The incredibly aesthetic use of black and white creates a beauty where we least expect it, but it also has a tendency to flatten the protagonists somewhat, who can sometimes come across as frozen in this particular visual backdrop.

Emperors of Nothing is produced by Citizen Films and Industrie Films in co-production with Savage Film.

(Translated from French)