Flemish Business Partners Face Ruin in Tech Scam

In the late 20th century, during a period of rapid technological advancement, two Belgian entrepreneurs, Geert and Luc, find their speech-to-text software startup exposed as a scam. Their business was built on capital conned from friends, family, and small investors, and now faces imminent police investigation. The film, "Dust," chronicles their desperate attempts to manage the fallout as their fraudulent activities come to light. Facing arrest within a day, Geert and Luc retreat to their homes to organize their affairs, confront their families, and consider their options, all while a looming deadline adds to the tension. The narrative delves into the characters' personal lives, revealing a wife aware of the shady dealings and an estranged daughter. Geert, a gay man, contemplates fleeing the country, while Luc grapples with the consequences of his actions. The film uses its setting, with its bourgeois interiors and anonymous office spaces, to reflect the material culture of the era and the characters' moral compromises. Despite moments of humanizing detail, the story struggles with a slow pace, making the ethical exploration feel drawn out until the climax.