Heysel disaster film Heysel 85 set for UK cinema release on 20 November

Heysel 85, a film telling the true story of the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster, will open in UK cinemas on 20 November.

Icon Film Distribution confirmed the date after the film was screened for the first time in the UK at the 70th BFI London Film Festival.

Its world premiere took place earlier this year at the Berlin International Film Festival. There, it was widely praised for its uncompromising look at the human and political forces behind the tragedy.

Variety called it “an anxiety-inducing work of cinéma vérité”, describing it as “riveting at every turn” and a “stark reminder of the entwinement between soccer and corruption”. Gazettely described it as “a harrowing, claustrophobic examination of institutional rot” and “a formidable cultural critique”.

The film’s publicity material sets out the story: “The stage is set at Brussels’ Heysel Stadium for the 1985 European Cup Final between Liverpool and Juventus. As thousands of fans descend on the ground, old club rivalries fuel the heated atmosphere, and the confrontation soon spirals into an eruption of violence.”

Amid a rising death toll, the mayor’s daughter and an Italian journalist find themselves at the centre of events, torn between their professional duty and loyalty to their family.

The publicity adds that the film blends drama and documentary and deals with “moral vs professional responsibility, escalating tensions, and politically motivated cover-ups”, taking viewers inside the stadium and showing the consequences that resulted in leading English clubs being barred from European competition for years.

The disaster happened on 29 May 1985 at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, before Liverpool played Juventus in the European Cup Final. Shortly before kick-off, a group of Liverpool supporters charged across a flimsy fence that divided them from a neutral section, where most of those present were Juventus supporters.

The crush and asphyxiation killed 39 people, mostly Italian Juventus fans, while approximately 600 others were injured.

Multiple individuals were later convicted of manslaughter, including an FA official, a Belgian police captain and 14 Liverpool fans. UEFA imposed a five-year ban on all English clubs from European competitions, with Liverpool banned for six.

The film’s director is award-winning filmmaker Teodora Mihai, whose previous work includes La civil. Its cast is led by Violet Braeckman (War), with Matteo Simoni (Callboys) and Josse De Pauw (Everybody’s Famous!) also starring.