I spent a long time preparing for the storm, sitting by the creak every day, recording my ideas that I would love, and hate them two minutes later.
PRE-PRODUCTION
I knew it was a lot of work, I knew I had very little time, but I couldn’t let myself create something I don’t love and obsess about.
I took my time thinking here, knowing I won’t have the space or time later in the process. My last slow working before the storm.
fetishistic disavowal- psychoanalytic concept
“I know very well what I’m doing is wrong, but I do it anyway.”
This concept inspired the writing of
“Dinner at noon”
Because
“We create entire ideological systems just to continue enjoying a hamburger without guilt.”
-Slavoj Žižek
Then one day, she was born
THE SCREENPLAY- DINNER AT NOON
The screenplay doesn't rely on loud arguments or dramatic twists.
Instead, tension builds through robotic politeness, sideways glances, synchronized movements, and passive-aggressive wordplay.
The horror lies in what’s not said.
Each character performs their social role with precision, until the performance cracks.
The language becomes a weapon, and silence becomes its most violent accomplice.
The characters true feelings surface through micro-movements, twisted etiquette, and veiled remarks.
This script was crafted to blur the line between performer and actor.
Nobody is innocent. Not even you, and definitely not me.
The characters in Dinner at Noon were kept deliberately minimal on paper. This allowed the actors to connect with their roles on a personal level and shape them from the inside out.
Each actor developed a detailed backstory, wrote a one-pager from the character’s perspective, and used meditation and channeling exercises to embody them fully.
One important lesson: a clear “snap-out” at the end of rehearsal was essential.
Without it, the roles lingered, and that started to take a mental toll.
Recruiting
The first teaser for Dinner at Noon was released as a way to attract collaborators. With over 4,000 views, it quickly caught attention and helped the project gain visibility within the local scene.
The strong response made crew formation fast and smooth, people reached out wanting to be involved.
The teaser didn’t just advertise the film, it set the tone.
It showed me we weren’t making just another student project, we were building a world.
Because I trusted my vision, everyone trusted me.
FROM VISION TO ACTION
In order to turn this ambitious film into reality, I had to roll up my sleeves and do most things myself.
From material gathering to location scouting and set design, these were my main responsibilities.
It was overwhelming at times, even terrifying.
But that's exactly why I had to face it alone.
Because this is where it stopped being an idea
and started becoming real.
I let myself cry and be angry when I needed to
I let myself ignore the voices and chase my perfectionism.
I chose Landbouwbelang as the filming location because of its vast, echoing spaces. It matched the tone of the project perfectly- haunting, raw, and impossible to ignore.
It took lots of equipment, logistics, and technical problem-solving.
it pushed us.
We learned a lot, adapted fast, and in the end, the results were more than worth it.
COSTUMES PLANNING
COSTUMES PLANNING
A heartfelt thank you to Emma van Tuyll, the Sustainable Hub and Marly Lemmens for their incredible styling support and for generously lending their beautiful pieces!
Choreography rehearsals
by Luna Zander
I met with Luna once to share the vision, a choreography not built on steps, but on emotional tension. She understood immediately, reading between words and gestures, and translated the unspoken into movement.
The dance was not there to entertain. It was a ritual of denial, a physical mantra to keep chaos at bay. A desperate, graceful attempt to say: if we keep dancing, maybe nothing’s wrong.
The crew was ready. The actors were ready.
The screenplay had been written and tested through rehearsals.
Our fake apartment, our set, had never looked better.
But then came the question:
How are we going to afford this?
Millions go into making films. We didn’t have that.
We had a budget of 300€ that we planned spending on food and curtains.
We needed professional equipment, expensive materials, tools we couldn't dream of buying.
So were we screwed?
False.
We had something stronger than money: community.
We had people around us who believed in the power of art, who believed in us.
People who were passionate, cinema-obsessed, and committed.
At some point, we stopped asking,
still, people kept showing up.
I would like to extend my gratitude towards Kringloop Zuid, Marcel Le Noble,Jo Van Laar, Landbouwbelang and every single person that borrowed us their belongings and/or energy.
Thank you for believing in us, thank you for trusting me.
