Tim Mielants

Tim Mielants, born December 11, 1979, in Mortsel, Flanders, Belgium, has quietly carved out a spot on the international film scene. The guy’s got this knack for capturing the gritty, offbeat corners of life, and honestly, his movies hit different. Folks probably know his name thanks to “Small Things Like These” (2024), a film that’s got people buzzing for all the right reasons. But he isn't some overnight sensation—he’s been at it for a while. Take “Wil” (2023), for example. That one’s a tense, atmospheric ride, set during World War II, right in the thick of occupied Antwerp. It follows a young police officer, Wil, who’s wrestling with some heavy moral choices as the city’s torn apart by conflict. Nothing about it feels sugarcoated; Mielants digs into the ugly, complicated mess of human nature when survival’s on the line. You can tell he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, storytelling-wise. Then there’s “Patrick” (2019), which is way more offbeat—kind of a tragicomedy about a nudist handyman searching for his missing hammer. Yeah, you read that right. But somehow, Mielants makes it work, blending deadpan humor with this weird, raw vulnerability. His style? Unpredictable, a little oddball, but always anchored by sharp character work and a sense of realism that sneaks up on you. If you’re looking for directors who aren’t afraid to poke at the messy, awkward parts of life, Mielants is your guy.