Ben X | 
 enlarge | Director: Nic Balthazar
Actors: Greg Timmermans, Laura Verlinden, Marijke Pinoy, Pol Goossen, Titus De Voogdt
Studio: Film Movement
Category: DVD
Buy New: $24.95
Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 84354
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 93 Minutes
UPC: 616892966425
EAN: 0616892966425
ASIN: B001DYRL22
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: March 10, 2009 (In 61 Days)
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Not yet released
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Product Description
Ben is a bit different. His life is full of strange rituals, and a mild form of autism prevents normal communication with others. As a result, he often seems to be living in another universe while he is a courageous hero in the computer gaming world that consumes him, Ben is tormented by classmates and ignored by apathetic teachers in his daily life. As the bullies relentless attacks push him over the edge and out of control, his online dreamgirl, Scarlite, steps in to help him devise a perfect plan to make them pay for their persecution. Director Nic Balthazar s dazzling debut blends fantasy and harsh social realism to bring us an utterly original and important film. OFFICIAL ENTRY Belgiums official submission for Best Foreign Film at the 2008 Academy Awards
WINNER Grand Prize, Audience Award for Most Popular Film, and Ecumenical Jury Prize for exploration of ethical and social values Montreal World Film Festival
WINNER FIPRESCI Award Istanbul International Film Festival
WINNER Audience Award and Director s Choice Award Sedona International Film Festival
WINNER Heineken Red Star Award Palm Springs International Film Festival
OFFICIAL SELECTION Berlin International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Wisconsin Film Festival
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| Customer Reviews:
 Intellligent and Moving December 6, 2008
Bell Howell (New Mexico)
Incredibly smart and moving story of an autistic student in Belgium. He's bullied and hounded nearly to suicide by his classmates before he gets help from a girl and his family. High production values on a tiny budget helped out by a tie-in to a real S.Korean video game. Top notch writing and acting. This gem left the sophisticated audience at the Palm Springs International Film Festival applauding.
 My favorite (of 155 films) at the 2008 Seattle International Film Festival October 15, 2008
A. Ramsey El-moslimany (Seattle)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
The 2008 SIFF had a ton of great movies, but Ben X stood above all. Intense and wonderfully constructed, this film takes us into a world of autism and teen age cruelty. Brilliantly told, this film will keep you riveted and uncomfortably squirming from beginning to end.
 Autism October 14, 2008
Reader (Chicago, IL USA)
0 out of 5 found this review helpful
This season, Film Movement international independent movie makers seem to be exploring what it means to be a teenager and different. What is different about Ben is that he is suffering from Ausberger syndrom. This is form of autism where person cannot relate to his social surroundings. Being that high school is painful enough for "normal" kids, Ben's hypersensitivity is making him more vulnerable. His teachers and family, handful of school friends are trying to make it easy on him. But Ben's only escape from the harsh reality is playing video games. Ben has built his own reality around the music, video games and him own internal mind. Interesting exploration of the mind that works differently than most, but not strong enough to convince anyone on how people like Ben make it in the real world as somewhat functioning adults. Ben is intelligent, physically healthy, just socially inadequate - he has no feelings but can only mimic them from observing others. What type of profession and independent adult life this leaves for him adn people who truly care about him? These questions remain unanswered, and that is why only two starts for this month's film.
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