Actor Karim Belkhadra (1963)

Directed by French Tunisian filmmaker Mabrouk el Mechri, JCVD (2008) is a crime drama that follows Jean-Claude Van Damme as a fictionalized version of himself. The former action star finds himself in dire circumstances as his career and family fall apart in his hometown of Brussels, Belgium. Struggling financially and unable to secure acting roles, Van Damme’s personal life also takes a hit when his ex-wife gains the upper hand in a custody battle for their daughter. In search of solace, he returns to Schaerbeek where he is still regarded as a local hero. While ...

The French thriller The Crimson Rivers (2000) stars Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel. Detective Superintendent Pierre Niemans is sent to the small university town of Guernon in the French Alps to investigate a brutal murder. The victim, Remy Callois, was a professor and the university’s librarian. Niemans seeks out Dr. Cherneze, a local ophthalmologist, for an explanation about the removal of the victim’s eyes. According to Dr. Cherneze, the isolated setting of the school led to inbreeding among the professors, resulting in serious genetic disorders. However, this ...