“This is a football stadium, not a church”: Violet Braeckman and Matteo Simoni on Heysel 85 at Berlin Film Festival 2026
16 February 2026
Violet Braeckman and Matteo Simoni, stars of the powerful film Heysel 85, joined us at the Berlin Film Festival 2026 to discuss their roles in depicting one of football’s darkest hours. The actors reflected on the film’s stark message, encapsulated by the chilling line, “This is a football stadium, not a church,” used to justify the unfolding tragedy. Braeckman and Simoni describe themselves as “vehicles, as guides through the catacombs of a stadium,” leading audiences through a “museum of human natures” grappling with responsibility and moral decay. They shared the challenges of embodying characters navigating such immense grief and political manoeuvring, highlighting the feature’s contemporary resonance and its nuanced exploration of how historical events illuminate timeless human failings.
Laura Della Corte
Heysel 85 does not have a release date yet.
Read more reviews from our Berlin Film Festival coverage here.
For further information about the event, visit the Berlin Film Festival website here.
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