Stephane Doppagne(L), dressed as Osama bin Laden, talks with film director Rob Van Eyck [Reuters]

Bearded Belgians eager to play Osama bin Laden queued on Sept. 11 to audition for a role in a film inspired by the Saudi-born Islamic militant -- as the world remembered the victims of the September 11 attacks.

Posing for cameramen with the would-be actors, some in turbans and robes, film director Rob Van Eyck admitted the timing of the audition was a publicity stunt.

"It's the only day when you are going to get such media coverage. When I did the casting in May, no one came," said the Flemish director.

Asked whether auditioning on the first anniversary of the deadly attacks on the United States was not in bad taste, Van Eyck shrugged: "It's not pleasant for the Americans, but every day people are killed in attacks."

Van Eyck, 63, said his comic book-style film would be a black comedy.

"It's good to shock people sometimes with humor. Americans are incapable of laughing at themselves," he added.

The film -- "Afterman 2" -- is set in 2012 and pits the eponymous hero against "bin Laden," who comes to Belgium as an asylum seeker and rises through the ranks of the European Union.

Afterman eventually saves the world from "bin Laden," who has closed the borders and established a dictatorship.

Van Eyck said his fascination with bin Laden, missing since the U.S. war in Afghanistan, stemmed from the fact that "for one side he's evil and for the other he's a hero."

Most of the aspiring actors in the film, in search of their 15 minutes of fame, defended it as a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun.

"I'm not serious about a real film career. Anyway when you watch Rob Van Eyck's films you realize that you don't need acting experience," said 27-year-old student Raf Linmans.

"It's nothing to do with good taste. I don't think he (Van Eyck) is going for the Golden Palm," he added, referring to the top prize awarded at the prestigious Cannes film festival.

(Agencies)