Dark, absurd, provocative, biting, anarchic: these are just some of the terms that best define the unique brand of humour that has flourished in Belgian cinema, especially in Wallonia, over the last few decades. While Belgian comedy has many facets, ranging from ferocity to self-deprecation, it always has a knack for pressing where it hurts while daring to laugh about it, painting hard-hitting social portraits, and putting our laborious lives into perspective.
With Roland Topor writing the screenplay, Marquis is a very free adaptation of the writings and life of the Marquis de Sade. In 1789, imprisoned in the Bastille, the Marquis writes clandestinely and disserts with his penis, which constantly demands to be satisfied. His destiny is linked to other prisoners occupying neighboring cells, including a woman named Justine.
Henri Xhonneux
Henri Xhonneux is a Belgian director, screenwriter, and producer, best known for his collaborations with Roland Topor. He began his career as a freelance cameraman for the news production company Belgavox, for which he directed numerous reports on Africa. In 1970, he directed two Belgian sexploitation films under pseudonyms. Drawing from his adolescence in Welkenraedt, he created Souvenir of Gibraltar (1975), his first feature film made under his real name. Alongside the illustrator and producer Roland Topor, he created the children's television series Téléchat (1983-86), which won the award for Best French-Language Program for Children and Teenagers at Cannes in 1984. In 1989, inspired by the story of the Marquis de Sade, he directed Marquis, again in collaboration with Roland Topor. This provocative film was well-received, particularly in Paris, where it remained in theaters for an entire year. That same year, it was awarded the Best Artistic Contribution Prize at the Barcelona Film Festival.
