Come as Your Are, also known as Hasta la Vista, is a Belgian drama film released in 2011 featuring Gilles De Schryver, Robrecht Vanden Thoren, Tom Audenaert and Isabelle de Hertogh. The film is directed by Geoffrey Enthoven,[1] the story is based upon a real-life experience.
From Wiki:
The Flemish boys Lars, Philip and Jozef are somewhere between 20 and 30 years of age and have a physical handicap. Jozef is almost blind and needs to use a magnifier. Philip suffers from paraplegia. He can only move his head and can use one hand which gives him the strength to control his automated wheelchair. Lars got a brain tumor which can’t be cured. He also sits in a wheelchair and can’t walk anymore due to increasing paralysis. The three are good befriended and visits each other frequently.
Philip, who is able to control a computer keyboard with a mouthpiece, had a chat conversation with a man who lost his legs. That man frequently visits a luxury brothel in Spain which is specialized to host men with a handicap. Philip convinces Lars and Philip to organize a trip to Spain “as they do not want to die as a virgin”. Of course, they have to convince their parents but are afraid to tell them the real reason about the trip. That’s why they deceive them and tell them that they are only going to visit some wine gardens in France and Spain. As Lars already made a well-organized plan about the trip and found a tour guide who is specialized in “holidays for people with a handicap” the parents eventually agree.
Some days before departure, Lars had a new attack and it seems his brain tumor has grown. His doctor advises to cancel his trip. Philip and Jozef do not want to leave without Lars, so they decide to leave sneakily. However, the tour operator can’t make the trip any more as it was cancelled by the parents. Besides, he already got a new booking for the same period. The tour operator gets pity and decides to send Claude, who also owns a specialized bus.
They are surprised when Claude seems to be an oversized, unattractive, grouchy woman who does not understand Flemish (as she lives Brussels). Philip and Lars dislike Claude and always use abusive Dutch language to describe “the insensible mammoth-looking woman”. Philip and Lars neither speak French, so Jozef becomes the interpreter. He is more friendly towards Claude and can’t laugh with the remarks of Philip and Lars.
Claude seems not to be very socialized. She only drives the boys to their different destinations and separates herself during each break. She does want to help the boys, but is always refused. The three are convinced they do not need Claude as “a replacement for their parents” and can handle the situation. Soon, they discover this is not that easy.
Claude insists the boys must accept her as they do need her help as a nurse. The three are surprised when they discover Claude does understand the Dutch language. They are embarrassed and ask Claude to forgive their misbehaviour, which she accepts. The following three days are very entertaining and Claude decides to overnight in open sky. The fourth day, she drives them to a hotel. The three are led to a meeting room and are astonished when they meet their parents. They were able to locate their sons via the original tour operator who gave them the mobile number of Claude. Claude, who got a call of the parents, could not refuse the parent’s request to drive them to this hotel. She is just out of prison due to maltreatment of her previous husband and does not want to get in new problems. The parents want to take their children back to Belgium. Lars decides to tell the truth about the trip: he is going to die very soon and wants to visit a specialized brothel in Spain. Although the parents are shocked, they do understand Lars and must admit it is neither that easy for Philip and Jozef to find a girlfriend. They approve their sons can continue the trip to the brothel with Claude as a guide.
The first visit at the brothel is a disaster as Lars gets ill. During their next visit, Jozef does not want to go as he fell in love with Claude. This seems to be mutual and the two have sex in the tour bus. Lars and Philip enjoy their visit in the brothel. That night, the group decides to sleep on the beach. Next morning, Philip finds a deceased Lars. Philip is picked up by his parents to travel to Belgium by aeroplane, whereas Jozef decides to stay with his new girlfriend Claude who drives him back to Belgium on her bus.
| Directed by | Geoffrey Enthoven |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Mariano Vanhoof |
| Written by | Pierre De Clercq Mariano Vanhoof Asta Philpot |
| Starring | Gilles De Schryver Robrecht Vanden Thoren Tom Audenaert |
| Music by | Stijn Meuris |
| Cinematography | Gerd Schelfhout |
| Editing by | Philippe Ravoet |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | Belgium |
| Language | Dutch, French, Spanish |
[edit]Awards
- “Come as You Are” was shown as opener for the Ostend Film Festival[3][4]
- The movie won the “Grand Prix des Amériques” at the international movie festival in Montréal. It also got the “People’s Choice Award” and a prize given by the Ecumenical Jury.[5][6]
- The movie won a “Golden Spike”, which is the first prize for the best film at the international movie festival in Valladolid. In same contest, it also won the “Youth jury award”[7]
- It was nominated in the “Alice nella città” of the internationel movie festival in Rome.
- It won the “Prix de publique Europe” at the film festival in Alpe d’Huez [8]][9]
- It was nominated for the Magritte Award for Best Flemish Co-Production.
Moviola 