Following its UK Premiere at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, Icon Film Distribution has confirmed that Heysel 85, the true story of the tragic stadium disaster, will be coming to UK cinemas from 20th November.
The stage is set at Brussels’ Heysel Stadium for the 1985 European Cup Final between Liverpool and Juventus. As thousands of fans descend on the ground, old club rivalries fuel the heated atmosphere, and the confrontation soon spirals into an eruption of violence. With the death toll quickly rising, the mayor’s daughter and an Italian journalist are drawn into the heart of the catastrophe, caught between professional duty and family loyalty.
An unflinching look at a moment that football might rather forget, this intense and immersive reimagining of one of the sport’s darkest days is loaded with remarkably relevant themes: moral vs professional responsibility, escalating tensions, and politically motivated cover-ups. The powerful blend of drama and documentary takes audiences into the heart of the stadium, revealing the devastating consequences that led to top English clubs being banned for years from competing in Europe.
Heysel 85 is directed by award-winning filmmaker Teodora Mihai (La civil) and stars Violet Braeckman (War) alongside Matteo Simoni (Callboys) and Josse De Pauw (Everybody’s Famous!).
The film’s World Premiere was held at Berlin International Film Festival, where it earned huge acclaim for its unflinching examination of the human and political forces surrounding the tragedy. Described by Variety as “an axiety-inducing work of cinéma vérité”, they praised the film as “riveting at every turn” and a “stark reminder of the entwinement between soccer and corruption”. Gazettely calls it “a harrowing, claustrophobic examination of institutional rot” and “a formidable cultural critique”.
