Le bal masqué (1998)

At a petrol station, a middle-aged couple is brutally murdered for no apparent reason. Before tearing off with screeching tires, the assailants steal important documents from the victims' Mercedes. Police detective Daerden, who is conducting an undercover operation at a nearby night club, drives to the scene of the crime and is also hit by the gang. That same night, investigating magistrate Siccard arrives and questions Daerden. They both launch an investigation into, unaware of the web of dubious practices, blackmail between law enforcement agencies and political intrigues they have got themselves into. The script is based on facts, namely the brutal slaying committed in Belgium in the eighties. In 1998, these crimes with 34 killings were still unsolved. Director Julien Vrebos does not so much emphasize the traumatic and murderous actions, but rather reflects the atmosphere of insecurity and instability created by extreme-right-wing politicians, corrupt police and ordinary gangsters all involved in the same conspiracy.