Dust Review: A Timely Tech-Bro Drama Echoes AI Era's Perils
Smallness and sadness define the core of "Dust," a feature film directed by Anke Blondé and starring Arieh Worthalter. This fictionalized account of a 1990s dotcom bust in rural Belgium, which premiered at the Berlin film festival, feels eerily prescient in today's AI-obsessed world. While the story might seem better suited for a European streaming series, its compact narrative delivers a powerful punch, highlighting the consequences of ego-driven overreach.
A Parochial Tale with Universal Resonance
The film follows Geert and Luc, played by Arieh Worthalter and Jan Hammenecker, two balding tech innovators hailed as Belgium's pinup boys of the late 1990s. Their startup has gone public, making them wealthy and inspiring friends, family, and local businesses to invest heavily. They dream of transforming Flanders into a European Silicon Valley, but their success is built on a foundation of fabricated profits.
Investigative journalist Aaron, portrayed by Anthony Welsh, exposes their fraud, revealing years of deceit to boost share prices and secure government grants. As their empire crumbles, the film captures the empty Sunday before the police arrive, with Geert and Luc scrambling to destroy evidence and confront their impending ruin.
Emotional Depth and Symbolic Imagery
Geert, a gay man, navigates a casual relationship with his driver-assistant Kenneth, played by Thibaud Dooms, while plotting an escape to South America. In a poignant scene, he visits his sister, who runs a bakery and faces financial disaster due to her investment, but he cannot warn her without risking insider trading charges.
Luc's storyline adds familial tension, with visits to his father in a care home and strained relationships with his wife and estranged daughter. His emotional breakdown occurs when his BMW gets stuck in a muddy field, leading him to gaze at cows in the rain—a symbolic moment that mocks his glitzy dreams against Belgium's agricultural reality.
Why This Story Matters Now
The "dust" of the title represents the crumbling of vain dreams, a theme that resonates beyond the 1990s dotcom bust. With impeccable acting and handsome production, the film serves as a cautionary tale for our current AI-driven era, where similar hubris could lead to downfall. Though parochial in setting, its exploration of fraud, ego, and consequence offers a timely reflection on innovation's dark side.
Dust challenges viewers to consider the cyclical nature of tech booms and busts, making it a must-watch for those interested in the intersections of finance, ethics, and human folly.
