Summer (6) Tijmen Govaerts: “Reading between the greenery and my first feature film”

What is your favourite summer spot in Brussels?

“L’Estaminet in Schaerbeek. Especially their hidden garden, behind La Maison des Arts. Sometimes there are shows, but in the middle of a busy city it’s often quiet. They make delicious food, but you can also bring your own food and drinks, and it’s a very sociable place. This garden is my first choice when meeting friends or reading.

What is your advice for reading, watching or listening during your vacation?

“First of all, a stunning masterpiece: Max and Misha and the Tet Offensive. The thickness of the book is intimidating, but the language is not. The book follows a young theater director who moves to America. As a reader, you’re really about finding your place in a country you weren’t born in, so there’s a lot of contemporary value in it.

Reading this book over vacation made me start listening a lot to Sonic Youth, an American rock band from the 80s that appears often in the book. Especially a record called Daydream Nation. Cassandra Jenkins, another artist I really like, just released a new record. And these days I’m also listening a lot to Moon Safari by the French electronic duo Air. They performed at Gent Jazz this summer.

“Finally, a viewing tip: Boyhood, a movie from ten years ago about a boy growing up, is back in theaters. I saw it then, but it’s great to be able to experience it again on the big screen. Big screen.”

Where to send a tourist who wants to discover something unique in Brussels?

“To mini Europe. I haven’t been there myself yet, but as a tourist I find it really funny that something like this exists. I want to get there myself.

Apart from that, I think of the museums of Marolles, the Bois de la Cambre, or the museums of Brussels. I don’t see Brussels as a coherent city, but rather a series of villages, each unique and wonderful to get lost in.”

Tijmen Govaerts’ performance with Hans Deplechin can be seen until August 10th. Theater on the sea In Ostend.