# When It Melts

When It Melts (Dutch: Het smelt) is a 2023 drama film written and directed by Veerle Baetens in her directorial debut. It is loosely based on the 2016 novel The Melting (Het smelt) by Lize Spit. The film stars Charlotte De Bruyne and Rosa Marchant, and explores themes of childhood trauma, the influence of family dynamics, and the struggle for personal identity.
The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival where it competed for the Grand Jury Prize Dramatic. At the 2023 Ensor Awards, When It Melts received eight nominations, including Best Film and Best Director for Baetens.

## Plot

Eva grows up with two boys in the small village of Bovenmeer. As they reach adolescence, the boys come up with cruel schemes, and Eva is faced with the difficult decision of whether to go along with them, a choice she feels powerless to avoid. Thirteen years after that fateful summer spiraled out of control, Eva returns to her hometown with a block of ice in the trunk of her car, intent on confronting the trauma of her past.

## Production

Production for When It Melts was initially in the hands of the production company Menuet. After it ceased to exist in 2017, Savage Film, led by Bart Van Langendonck and Sarah Marks, took over. In early 2020, the film project was presented at the Berlinale production market, where it won the ArteKino International Prize. The film also received financial support from the Netherlands Film Fund and the Flanders Audiovisual Fund.
In August 2021, filming commenced across various locations in Belgium, spanning two months. Actress Veerle Baetens made her directorial debut with the project, after five years of preparation, which included working with Maarten Loix to adapt Lize Spit's novel The Melting (Het smelt) into a screenplay. The film was initially scheduled for release on November 24, 2022, but was postponed to the fall of 2023. In early December 2022, it was selected for the World Cinema Dramatic competition at the Sundance Film Festival in the United States, where it had its world premiere on 21 January 2023.

## Reception
### Critical response

When It Melts received positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator website AlloCiné, the film holds an average score of three and a half stars out of five, based on a survey of 18 reviews.

### Accolades

| Award / Film Festival | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
| Dragon Award | Best First Feature Film | | Nominated |
| Ensor Award | Best Film | | Nominated |
| Ensor Award | Best Director | Veerle Baetens | Nominated |
| Ensor Award | Best Screenplay | Veerle Baetens and Maarten Loix | Nominated |
| Ensor Award | Best Performance in a Leading Role | Charlotte De Bruyne | Nominated |
| Ensor Award | Best Performance in a Leading Role | Rosa Marchant | Nominated |
| Ensor Award | Best Sound | Geert Vlegels and Pedro Van der Eecken | Nominated |
| Ensor Award | Best Original Score | Bjorn Eriksson | Nominated |
| Ensor Award | Best Costume Design | Manu Verschueren | Nominated |
| Magritte Award | Best Flemish Film | | Won |
| Sundance Film Festival | Grand Jury Prize | | Nominated |
| Sundance Film Festival | Best Performance | Rosa Marchant | Won |
| World Soundtrack Award | Best Original Score | Bjorn Eriksson | Nominated |