Monsieur Beulemeester, Civic Guard (1913)

Commissioned by Pathé Frères, Alfred Machin shoots several local stories in Belgium, in a typically Belgian setting. Machin produces not only historical dramas, but also some comedies mainly portraying the Brussels "zwanze", the typical humour of the city's inhabitants, which is characterised by a finely-balanced mix of self-deprecation and exaggeration. In doing so he made his films accessible and recognizable to his audience. Mr Beulemeester, notorious member of the local militia and very possessive when it comes to his daughter, is in this film fooled by charmer and suitor Van Soest.