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 who who spies on the locals by reading their mail and knows all of the bizarre and intimate secrets of the eccentric inhabitants of the estate.
Alex van Warmerdam's sophomore feature, the dark and surreal comedy THE NORTHERNS won three Felixes for Best Film, Music and Art Direction at the European Film Awards.
“A darkly amusing satire of bourgeois life and its repressions, executed with visual and dramatic flair.” –The New York Times
DIRECTED BY ALEX VAN WARMERDAM
NETHERLANDS | 1992 | DUTCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
Up Next in Films of Alex van Warmerdam
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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
Alex van Warmerdam's Palme d'Or nominated BORGMAN turned him into a bonefied superstar on the indie film circuit and his deadpan comedy SCHNEIDER VS. BAX builds on his stellar reputation.
Schneider, a hitman, gets a call from Mertens on the morning of his birthday. He has a last-minute assignmen... -
Grimm re-edit
A post-modern fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel gone awry, this updated adaptation of Alex van Warmerdam's 2003 film GRIMM features new image, editing, sound and music by the filmmaker.
One winter’s day, Jacob and his sister Marie are left behind in the woods by their poor father. In his coat, Jac...
