Biography
Lander Haverals is a Belgian director, writer, and showrunner known for his distinctive work in documentary and human-interest storytelling.
His passion for film began at a young age when he joined the youth jury of the Cinema Novo Film Festival. He went on to study Audiovisual Techniques at LUCA School of Arts (Narafi, Brussels), graduating in 2007, after which he started his career at the renowned production company Woestijnvis. There, he developed his craft as a director on acclaimed television formats such as Man Bites Dog (Man Bijt Hond), Court (De Rechtbank), and The Detectives (De Recherche).
In 2011, Haverals founded his own production company, PIXIT bv, and continued to expand his work across both television and documentary filmmaking. He has collaborated with leading Belgian production companies including De Chinezen, Borgerhoff & Lamberigts, VRT Studios, and Studio 100. His work often explores themes of mental health, identity, and complex human relationships.
He is the creator and director of several notable documentary series, including Mad & Genius (Gek en Geniaal), Mental Cases (Ontoerekeningsvatbaar), Meander, and Between Us (Tussen Ons), as well as the award-winning short films Pure Madness and Quatre-mains. His projects have been selected for international festivals and have received multiple awards, including Best European Documentary at the European Independent Film Festival.
More recent work includes the true crime series Where is Elke Wevers? (2023) and the documentary series De Nonnen (2024), which investigates abuse within religious institutions in Belgium. Alongside his documentary work, Haverals has remained active in television as a director, writer, and head of editing for long-running programs such as Everybody Famous (Iedereen Beroemd).
In addition to his television and documentary work, he continues to explore more experimental formats, such as the video installation Minds on Mute. He is currently developing his first feature film with Menuetto Film.
