The Festival des Libertés is returning to Brussels' Théâtre National from Thursday 9 October to Saturday 18 October, celebrating its 25th anniversary with another eclectic programme of debates, film screenings and concerts – many of which are free.
The 2025 edition of the festival will focus on the theme of dialogue in the face of political and democratic tensions, through music, mock trials, photographic exhibitions, debates, and around 15 film screenings and discussions with directors. "The Festival des Libertés offers ten days to rethink democratic discussion collectively, move beyond simplistic divisions in public debate, promote critical thinking, and combat misinformation," says the organiser Bruxelles Laïque.
Issues such as the place of men in feminism, tensions between trade unions and employers, and the rise of the far-right and secularism in a pluralistic society will be at the heart of the discussions.
The festival was originally conceived as a documentary film festival for young people in 2000. But organisers decided this initial vision was too narrow and didn't allow for enough exchange between different points of view and a broad enough audience. It has grown considerably over the years and has attracted some 25,000 visitors in recent editions.
"It is now a very diverse and rich event that mixes theatre, music, photography, and more social and political content like debates and documentaries about human rights and freedom around the world. We feel very strongly that dialogue and democracy are created when people come together – and a festival is an opportunity to bring people together," the festival's project manager Paola Hidalgo tells The Brussels Times.
"Sometimes people go to the festival because they are attracted by the musical programme, but then end up discovering a film about human rights or a situation in the world that they have never heard of and come to get informed," she says. "We make our cultural and political offer as great as possible so that it can include many points of view, because this is what makes a society."
What's on the programme?
The concert programme features a wide selection of genres: from hip-hop to rap and reggae, there is something for everyone.
On the opening night, Malian rapper Oxmo Puccino will take centre stage in the Grande Salle, with French rapper Gringe on 16 October.
Hidalgo highlights the tribute to Nirvana legend Kurt Cobain on 15 October, where renowned French actress Béatrice Dalle will join forces with Bastien Burger and Youv Dee to perform readings and musical reinterpretations. "For Kurt Cobain lovers – and especially French-speaking Kurt Cobain lovers – this is going to be a big moment."
The festival will wrap up with a double headline act on 18 October featuring artists who have "made history in Jamaican music," according to the organisers. Sister Nancy, a dancehall icon and the first female DJ to make her mark in this genre, will perform alongside The Congos, known as "pioneers of roots reggae with their deep and timeless harmonies."
Building bridges
Music is not the sole focus of the event, however: "all forms of expression" are on the programme "to resist, testify, and unite."
Hidalgo draws attention to the opening debate with philosopher Deborah Brostow, who wrote a book that analyses why modern society is so violent and is at war. Together with ULB law professor Olivier Corten, and with former director of the Académie Royale Militaire Jean Marsia, they will discuss why there are currently so many conflicts and so many resources being allocated to warfare.
The discussion will centre on the need to negotiate and to discuss even with drastically different political positions. "We think that dialogue has been broken somehow and we're no longer able to discuss with some people, with some political opinions. And we really need to learn again how to speak to each other and understand each other again," Hidalgo says.
There will also be a free photo exhibition throughout the festival, entitled 'No Woman's Land', which is dedicated to the voices and struggles of women and girls in Afghanistan since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021.
Through photographs, sketches and videos, it showcases the six-month journey of Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Kiana Hayeri and French researcher Mélissa Cornet, who travelled through seven Afghan provinces to investigate the conditions imposed on women and girls by the Taliban. They met with over 100 women and girls – banned from school, forced to stay at home – as well as female journalists and activists continuing their fight for rights.
Credit: Festival des Libertés
The documentaries include 'Coexistence, My Ass!', a one-woman show by Israeli actress Noam Shuster Eliassi, who "attempts to reconcile her political convictions, her origins, and her identity in a deeply divided society"; 'Queer as Punk' which follows trans man and punk singer Faris Saad's struggle to exist, create, and assert himself in Malaysia, where queer identities are criminalised; and 'Gaza Sound Man', about Mohamed Yaghi, a Palestinian sound engineer who captures the soundscape of his city and bears witness through his work to the brutal evolution of life in Gaza.
Belgian lawyer and human rights activist Alexis Deswaef, who is also president of the International Federation for Human Rights, will partake in a discussion after 'Gaza Sound Man', Hidalgo adds. Deswaef was one of the Belgians who recently tried to travel to Gaza aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla until they were intercepted by Israeli authorities.
The documentaries are either in English or with English subtitles, "so it's very accessible for an English-speaking audience." The debates are all in French; however, Hidalgo notes that recordings can be found on Spotify after the event – "which is a fantastic way to learn French!"
Making culture accessible is key to the festival's mission, and the events are free or priced reasonably. "All the debates are free. Half of the concerts are free. The films are €6. The exhibition is free and the theatre plays are at standard prices."
Free cinema with Ciné-club Libertés
As in previous years, the fun will continue after the festival draws to a close, as all the documentaries will be shown again for free through the Ciné-club Libertés programme.
"The stories that are told and the political messages in these films need to be known, so we offer six months of free documentary screenings twice a month from November until May in two of Brussels' independent cinemas: Cinema Vendôme and Cinema Aventure."
