Sabena forever
Feature Docs
Pitch
On 23 May 2023, Sabena would have been 100 years old. When it was founded, the "Société anonyme belge d'exploitation de la navigation aérienne" [Belgian Anonymous Company for the Exploitation of Air Navigation]was at the forefront of civil aviation. At the time, there were only two airlines in the world: KLM of the Netherlands and Avianca of Colombia, both founded in 1919. Sabena was therefore the third oldest airline in the world. It was declared bankrupt on 7 November 2001. "Sabena Forever" tells the story of the 78 years of its turbulent history, from the heroic beginnings of the 1920s to the growing difficulties of the 1980s and 1990s, through the prosperous post-war years. This film primarily gives voice to the Sabena employees. The company's former employees tell the story of their Sabena. The company they loved so much. More than twenty years after the company went bankrupt, the memory of the Sabena of which they were so proud rekindles the wounds. In 2023, in the midst of a social and political crisis, this film is about happiness at work.