Third Act 2019 / Film

Third Act is a film by Belgian documentary filmmakers Mieke Struyve and Lotte Stoops about ageing, about caring and being cared for. The story is told from the perspective of ageing actors and local senior citizens, performing with Peeping Tom. Life is a stage, but what happens when the curtain is about to fall?

This documentary follows the culturally eclectic theatrical family on tour around the world with the trilogy Vader, Moeder, Kind. The theme of this trilogy, ageing and family, touches everybody’s lives, including those of the actors themselves. In the film sublimated theatrical stories are woven together with sensitive personal contributions.

At each stop on the international tour, Peeping Tom works with local senior citizens as extras. These extras have been sought out beforehand and receive a crash-course in acting before they step onto the stage, often for the first time in their lives. Their personal lives provide an insight into ageing in their countries and create a dialogue with what Peeping Tom presents on stage.

Third Act was created as a coproduction with Peeping Tom. The cinematic approach and the characteristic visuals of Peeping Tom permeate through the documentary. The world premiere took place on 31 March 2019 during Docville in Leuven (BE).

Directors
Mieke Struyve and Lotte Stoops

Director of Photography
Johan Legraie, Julien Lambert

Sound
Jeanne Debarsy, Cosmas Antoniadis

Film editing
Dieter Diependaele

Production
Savage Film / Bart Van Langendonck, Vincent Metzinger

Coproduction
Peeping Tom, Iota Productions, CANVAS

Partners
Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds, Creative Europe Programme – MEDIA of the European Union, Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles