Program 05: Third Wedding (Troisièmes noces)

In French with English subtitles.

Martin Janssens is in a dark place. His husband Jan has just died, he’s flat broke, and the artistic house that he and Jan so lovingly cared for is on the verge of foreclosure. Worse yet, his suicide attempts keep going comedically awry. So when an opportunity presents itself to save his home, Martin takes the leap. A friend is looking for someone to marry his mistress and help her obtain a visa to stay in Belgium. In exchange for a handsome sum of money, Martin agrees to marry her.

It would be hard to imagine a more imperfectly matched duo. Not only is Martin gay, but he’s ornery, set in his ways, and still grieving the loss of his husband. Tamara, Martin’s new fiancée is 30 years younger than he is. She’s impulsive, headstrong, and has a few secrets. A Congolese immigrant on an expired student visa, marrying Martin is her only chance to avoid deportation. She’s committed to this pretend partnership. Is he?

In order to make this charade work, Martin and Tamara will have to convince the authorities that their relationship is real. They’ll need to pass written tests and a series of surprise (and very invasive) home inspections. If that isn’t bad enough, the outspokenly gay Martin will have to make his new-found heterosexuality public to his friends and family.

Third Wedding is a quirky, irreverent comedy that fearlessly finds humor in topics that probably shouldn’t be funny. It explores life and death, love and loss, immigration, and even depression in a way that is both poignant and hilarious. Based on a best-selling Belgian novel, Third Wedding will leave audiences talking, thinking and laughing.

~ Stephen Weisenreder

Awards & Accolades

• Jury Award, Runner-up, Best Narrative Feature – OUTshine Film Festival (Miami)