Beatrice

1972. In a metropolis reminiscent of both Paris and Brussels, young Beatrice commutes daily to the Galeries La Brouette, where she sells gloves. When she finds a photo album in a discarded bag, she swoons at the images of a young couple in the roaring twenties. She goes in search of the locations where the photos were taken, but discovers that most of the buildings have been torn down. Until she comes across one of the cafés in the photos. Time appears to have stood still here, and she suddenly finds herself in the 1920s. She meets the man from the album and lives the young woman’s life. But all magic comes to an end.

With his wordless debut ‘Beatrice’, Joris Mertens pulls out all the stops. By playing with alternating perspectives, he never fails to draw the reader’s gaze to the right place. Detailed drawings dominated by shades of red and brown do an excellent job of conveying the bustling city in contrast with Beatrice’s loneliness. Drenched in nostalgia and melancholy, ‘Beatrice’ is a story full of enchantment and atmosphere.