Onthulling standbeeld Peter Benoit - 1934

In the film Unveiling the Statue of Peter Benoit, we are present with Maurice at the festive inauguration of the monument near the opera. It is a rainy day. A large group of dignitaries with umbrellas was given a seat on the official grandstand in front of the entrance to the opera. The other attendees are scattered all over the footpaths. They carry also their umbrellas. Maurice took many shots of the ceremony, not only of the event itself, but also of the place where the inauguration took place, barely a few hundred metres from his ice cream parlour Nec Plus Ultra. The film begins with images of the singing crowd, encouraged by a broadly gesticulating conductor. We witness a speech by Kamiel Huysmans, who was then mayor, and Frans Van Cauwelaert, the previous mayor. We end with images of the ice cream parlour. It is particularly busy there: many people are queuing up. Behind the ice cream counter there are also many people: Maurice and Hélène, Uncle Mumbol with pipe, Fernande with her white ribbon and lots of staff. We see that the facade of the ice-cream parlour has been decorated for the occasion. There are electric party lights and on the balcony of the first floor Maurice has placed a bust of Peter Benoit with a real canopy above it. Posters for the event hang in the window of the ice cream parlour: "Centenary of the Flemish poet Peter Benoit. Solemn homage and grand festivity".