THE MATTRESS
A poetic journey through memory and time

The Mattress is a film about the uneven way memory fades and the unexpected ways it survives. Rather than exploring memory loss through medical realism, the film enters the interior world of Oliver — a world shaped by sensations, fragments, colours, and emotional traces. The story does not follow linear logic; it moves the way memory moves: through associations, impressions, and moments that return without explanation.
At its core, the film examines the idea that while cognitive memory disappears, the body continues to remember. A melody, a colour, a touch, or a voice can persist even when names and events are lost.

Writer & Director & Producer Georgios Mantzakos

Georgios Mantzakos is a Greek-born actor, writer, and filmmaker based in Brussels, Belgium. He is currently continuing his acting journey at Acting Studio Brussels and has trained in the Meisner technique, improvisation, and embodiment-based performance at Physical Lab UK.He further refined his craft through workshops with respected acting coaches and completed cinema direction studies at a private film and art program in Athens, Greece.Georgios has appeared in theatre, film, and commercials as an actor, while also gaining experience behind the camera on a range of film and documentary projects.

Co-Director
Katharina Gerlich

Katharina Gerlich is an award-winning Austrian actress, director and storyteller. She self-published her very first book - featuring a cherry searching for freedom - at the tender age of 8 using her parents' printer, crayons and loads of staples. Later, she followed her passion for storytelling and trained to become an actress in Vienna and London. Her debut short film “Sweet Survival” has been screened at festivals all over Europe, India and the US and won Best Horror/Thriller at the Austrian Filmfestival.

Composer
Jean-Loup Pinson

Jean-Loup Pinson brings a refined and versatile musical voice to the project. A multi-instrumentalist and composer with experience across film, TV, and stage, he blends jazz, classical composition, and electronic elements to create emotionally resonant soundscapes.His music has supported internationally acclaimed works, and his ability to shape atmosphere and deepen narrative makes him a natural fit for this film. As music plays a central role in the film’s identity and emotional arc, Jean-Loup’s contribution will be essential in defining its tone, mood, and inner life.

Yola — portrayed by
Linora Dinga

Linora Dinga is a Russian-Congolese artist based in Brussels. She is an actress and dancer in collaborative projects and develops her own work as a multidisciplinary artist, combining performance art, text, and visual materials alongside standalone works in poetry and photography.Her artistic journey began in dance, and after graduating from Escola Superior de Dança (Portugal), she collaborated as a dancer and co-creator across diverse projects, gradually expanding into theatre, physical theatre, and screen acting.Her recent work includes the solo performance Act, Interrupted, as well as collaborations such as The Maids Materials (Studio Wachowicz/Fret, Poland), Maître Nageur (theatre piece by Manou Selhorst), and Dorémi (short film by Milan Tintané-Ducharme).

Oliver — portrayed by
Mathieu Molitor

Mathieu Molitor is a Belgian actor drawn to the richness of human stories. He finds life too short to live only his own and has, so far, inhabited characters such as a loyal soldier, a magnificent loser, a defiant priest, a despicable killer, or a rebellious son.For him, embodying a reality other than his own is as much a necessity as it is a pleasure.Deeply connected to his desire to act, he approaches each role with generosity, empathy, and a true passion for sharing, loving, and exploring what it means to be human.On stage or in front of the camera, Mathieu Molitor commits fully to a vision with energy and heart, striving to give each character a body, a truth, a voice, and a unique presence.

The Driver — portrayed by
Frederik Eraly

Born in Leuven, Frederik Eraly is a Dutch, French, and English-speaking actor. He recently played the lead in the national VLAM commercial Het Tuinaannemereffect and has featured roles in several upcoming films, including Coward (dir. Lukas Dhont) and Heysel 85 (dir. Teodora Mihai).He also appeared in TV comedy sketches for De Ideale Wereld on VRT Canvas and is active as a voice-over artist. Frederik trains at Acting Studio Brussels and has an extensive background in improvisation.

The Barman — portrayed by
Dragos Barbu

Dragos Barbu began his acting journey in February 2024 at the Acting Studio Brussels, where he trained in the Meisner technique and scene study. Since then, he has developed a committed and intuitive approach to performance.He has appeared in the films 5 Past 12, The Auction, and Knock Knock Rock, and has performed in comedy events and studio showcases in Brussels and Ghent.