To the delight of his mother, 31-year-old agoraphobe Abel still lives at home with his parents. After failing to solve his social anxieties with doctors and psychiatrists, Abel's exasperated father Victor throws him out onto the street. Eventually, Abel encounters the kind-hearted stripper Zus, who has a secret connection with his father.
The feature debut of writer, director and star Alex van Warmerdam, ABEL screened in competition at Venice's International Critics' Week, won two Golden Calf awards for Best Film and Best Director at the Netherlands Film Festival, and was named the Best Dutch Film of the 1980s by the Circle of Dutch Film Journalists.
“Amusing and quite stylish.” –The New York Times
DIRECTED BY ALEX VAN WARMERDAM
NETHERLANDS | 1986 | DUTCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
Up Next in Alex van Warmerdam Collection
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The Northerners
When his mother is drawn into sainthood and the frustrations of his father become too difficult to manage, 12-year-old Thomas finds escape from the 1960s Dutch suburb where they live through his obsession with events on the broadcast news. He is encouraged in this escapism by Plagge, a postman wh...
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The Last Days of Emma Blank
In a large country home, the owner and matriarch Emma Blank is very ill and is cared for by her obedient household staff: Haneveld the head housekeeper, Bella the cook, Gonnie the maid, and Meier the man-servant. Despite her need for loving care, Emma is a steely, avaricious dictator whose demand...
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Schneider vs. Bax
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Schneider, a hitman, gets a call from Mertens on the morning of his birthday. He has a last-minute assignmen...
