Frame Analysis
Cinéma Vérité Style: Shot in documentary style with handheld cameras to create authentic feel. The black and white 16mm stock was chosen specifically for its distancing effect and newspaper photograph aesthetic, not for budget reasons.
Guerrilla Filmmaking: Made over 2.5 years by Belgian film students using available locations (homes, streets), friends and family as actors, and minimal lighting equipment including flashlights for night scenes.
Self-Conscious Documentary: The film crew appears in the film using their real names, blurring the line between fiction and reality. Equipment "mistakes" are deliberately included - microphones in frame, lighting issues, and technical problems become part of the narrative.
Mockumentary Realism: Long takes and sequence shots with no apparent cuts during murder scenes to simulate snuff film authenticity. Jump cuts and guerrilla editing techniques typical of cinéma vérité movement.
Available Light Philosophy: Minimal artificial lighting, relying on practical sources and natural light. When additional light is needed, crew uses flashlights that become visible in the frame, adding to the documentary authenticity.
Handheld Camera Work: Constant camera movement and handheld operation creates intimate, voyeuristic perspective that implicates the audience in the violence being documented.