The Mystery of the Sardine
Het Mysterie van de Sardiene
103 minutes, 2005
Wed. Oct 11, 6:30PM, Sequoia
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Fri. Oct 13, 4:00PM, Rafael
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FOCUS: THE NETHERLANDS • In Dutch with English subtitles • It begins with a bang when a pooch inexplicably explodes, taking Professor Tim Boerhave's legs with it. Recovering at a seaside resort, Boerhave encounters a pantheon of eccentrics that includes a former lover offering sex advice, a boy genius with a bad heart and a painter-prophet. Against this uncanny backdrop he struggles to understand the attack, its effect on his body and family, and clues that point back to his fateful encounter. Fans of David Lynch will enjoy the oddball dialogue and strange situations that combine with the film's gothic narrative undercurrent. Erik Van Zuylen's patient, mannered filmmaking helps the film retain a light touch despite being dense with dream symbology, Freudian fetishes, philosophical references and echoes of Dutch imperialism. Based on Polish intellectual Stefan Themerson's novel, The Mystery of the Sardine is a peculiarly effective study of how broken people and fractured families struggle with disruption, crime and punishment, memory and dreams. — A. Lazenby
Director: Erik van Zuylen
Producer: Annemiek van Gorp, Rene Goossens
Screenwriter: Erik van Zuylen
Cinematographer: Maarten Kramer
Editor: Linn Friedman
Cast: Victor Low, Renee Fokker
Print Source:
Holland Film
Jan Luijkenstraat
Amsterdam, CM, 1071
Netherlands
Tel: +31 20 570 7575
Official Website: www.hetmysterievandesardine.nl
