“Hearts of Stone”
Set in the heart of a busy modern city, this poetic short film follows Paula, a lonely street artist who performs as a living statue while carrying a secret and impossible love for Agatha, the stone sculpture beside whom she appears every day. Her quiet routine is shattered when Agatha is suddenly removed and replaced by a cold abstract artwork, reflecting a cityscape that is rapidly modernising and leaving the past behind. Determined to find her lost companion, Paula discovers Agatha abandoned among a group of discarded classical statues, all pushed aside in a changing sculpture park. As evening falls, Paula attempts to awaken the statue she loves, turning the film into a moving meditation on loneliness, love, art, and displacement. Blending magical realism with visual poetry, the story explores themes of urban change, forgotten beauty, and the emotional bond between a woman and the world she refuses to let disappear.
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Tom Van Avermaet is a Belgian filmmaker recognised for his distinctive cinematic style, blending surrealism, visual imagination, and melancholic storytelling. He is best known for his acclaimed short films Dreamtime and Death of a Shadow, the latter starring Matthias Schoenaerts and achieving major international success.
Death of a Shadow won the European Film Award for Best European Short and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, establishing Tom Van Avermaet as a leading voice in contemporary short filmmaking. His recent short film Hearts of Stone, starring Noomi Rapace and Jessica Barden, premiered nationally at the Oostend Film Festival before making its international debut at LA Shorts International Film Festival and Rhode Island International Film Festival, where it won Best International and the Grand Prize for Best Live Action Short—both Oscar-qualifying awards. Alongside his film work, Tom is also active as a commercial director, art curator, and multidisciplinary creative.