Heysel 85

Heysel 85, Teodora Ana Mihai’s latest feature, revisits one of the most painful chapters in European football history: the tragic events at the 1985 European Cup Final in Brussels. More than a simple recounting of facts, this historical drama delves into the moral responsibilities and institutional failures that led to the loss of 39 lives, offering a tense political metaphor for the consequences of indecision and blame. Mihai casts an uncompromising eye on these failures, crafting a narrative driven by off-screen tension, immersing audiences in the heart of the tragedy while highlighting the responsibilities at play.

The narrative unfolds primarily through the eyes of two compelling characters: Marie (Violet Braeckman), daughter and press attaché to the Mayor of Brussels, and Luca (Matteo Simoni), a Belgium-based Italian journalist. As English and Italian supporters arrive in droves and the atmosphere on the esplanade turns electric, the story meticulously chronicles the hours preceding the disaster. With tickets traded on the black market and facilities already dilapidated, the situation is critical. Luca, divided between professional duty and personal involvement, searches for his family members in the stadium, while Marie navigates a labyrinth of political squabbles and her father’s incapacities, revolted by the unscrupulousness of the many old men in charge.

Mihai, known for her documentary work (Waiting for August) and acclaimed fiction features (La Civil, Traffic), directs with an intense and keenly observed style. She masterfully integrates real archive footage from the period with newly shot 16mm scenes, creating a grainy, period-appropriate aesthetic that seamlessly blends documentation and drama. This is further amplified by a formidable sound design; the rumbling and distant screams beneath the stadium effectively build a palpable sense of sickening dread without dwelling on explicit violence. Braeckman and Simoni deliver utterly committed performances, portraying well-meaning individuals thrust into morally complex circumstances, while Josse De Pauw’s portrayal of Mayor Dumont as an ineffectual, blame-shifting official is wonderfully pathetic.

Heysel 85 successfully brings to life the drama unfolding behind what quickly resembles a war zone, dissecting how this disaster was not an unfortunate accident but the predictable result of a host of dysfunctions. The filmmaker opts for an aesthetic similar to that of the numerous archive images, reinforcing the urgency and sincerity of her message. Despite a few slightly obvious fictional devices and moments where the critique of institutional bickering can feel a little laboured, it remains riveting at every turn. It is a technically astute and emotionally resonant work, serving as a stark reflection on societal responsibility and the entanglement of sport and corruption. The feature leaves the viewer with an open question, suspended like a thread over the void: how much are we willing to recognise the signs before they become tragedy?