The fact that almost everyone’s in the nude is the least remarkable thing about this deadpan delight from Peaky Blinders director Tim Mielants
For most British filmgoers, mentions of naturism will automatically summon up visions of Sid James and Bernard Bresslaw hyperventilating over a documentary about naked holidaying in Carry on Camping. Nothing could be further from the tone of this Belgian tragicomedy, a wry and oddly moving tale set in a world largely unencumbered by clothing, but riddled with intrigue, deceit, and the promise of self-discovery.
On a remote naturist campsite in the Ardennes, handyman Patrick (Kevin Janssens), son of the camp’s owners, worries over the loss of his hammer. Its absence is driven home by the empty space on his meticulously ordered tool rack, a void outlining the exact shape of his anxiety. Patrick’s father Rudy (Josse De Pauw) is dismissive, convinced that his son has simply been careless with his possession. But when Rudy dies and Patrick inherits the camp, his desire to find the missing tool becomes an obsession. Those around him think he’s simply projecting his bereaved grief. Meanwhile, Herman (Pierre Bokma) and Liliane (Ariane van Vliet), the latter of whom engages Patrick in joyless sex, are planning to seize control of the camp, taking advantage of Patrick’s weakened state. Yet all Patrick can think about is his hammer.