Jakob arrives at the Institute Benjamenta (run by brother and sister Johannes and Lisa Benjamenta) to learn to become a servant. With seven other men, he studies under Lisa: absurd lessons of movement, drawing circles, and servility. He asks for a better room. No other students arrive and none leave for employment. Johannes is unhappy, imperious, and detached from the school's operation. Lisa is beautiful, at first tightly controlled, then on the verge of breakdown. There's a whiff of incest. Jakob is drawn to Lisa, and perhaps she to him. As winter sets in, she becomes catatonic. Things get worse; Johannes notes that all this has happened since Jakob came. Is there any cause and effect?
Genre: Drama
Stars: Alice Krige, Mark Rylance, Gottfried John, Daniel Smith, Joseph Alessi, Jonathan Stone
Crew: Stephen Quay (Director), Timothy Quay (Director), Timothy Quay (Writer), Stephen Quay (Writer), Alan Passes (Writer), Nicholas D. Knowland (Director of Photography)
Country: Germany, Japan, United Kingdom
Language: Afrikaans, English, Deutsch, Español
Studio: Koninck Studios, Image Forum, Pandora Film, Hot Property Films, Film4 Productions
Runtime: 104 minutes
Quality: HD
Released: Aug 01, 1995
IMDb: 3.3
Keywords:surrealism
