Winter of Machines juxtaposes the post-industrial landscape of Charleroi with the legacy of Futurism. Fascinated by Fernand Steven’s mural Evocation of Chemistry (1936 – 1938), which celebrates science, industry, and progress, filmmaker Jan Locus explores the contrast between this utopian vision and the contemporary struggles of the Belgian city, marked by poverty and unemployment. By alternating between images of Charleroi and the promise inscribed in the mural, time seems suspended. Els Viaene’s sound design deepens this ghostly atmosphere. Refusing to choose between a broken promise and an uncertain future, Winter of Machines breathes both melancholy and anticipation.