Ben De Raes is a Brussels-based filmmaker, activist, producer, and amateur farmer. His work explores themes related to labor, community, and resistance. Kapital Europe portrays two migrant workers in Brussels, as they navigate a journey marked by uncertainty and singular moments of joy. Reginald, a Romanian construction worker, struggles in the city’s informal building sector and contemplates returning to Romania. Niki, a young Greek newly arrived to the city, takes up work as a bicycle courier. Their stories reveal the unyielding forces of the capitalist system at work.

De Raes merges documentary and fiction, capturing both the monotony and the repetition of physical labor, as well as the passion and dedication of the workers. With restrained cinematography and a naturalistic soundscape, Kapital Europe portrays the indispensable labor that keeps the city moving. Interwoven with their stories are actual conversations with working-class Brussels residents. The film offers a critical look at the precarious nature of work in a globalised metropolis, highlighting the divide between the workers and the structures that shape their lives. Ultimately, this is a film about hope, disillusionment, and the undeniable significance of the people who power the city.

English subtitles