Abel (film)
Encyclopedia
Abel is a 1986
Dutch
film
directed by Alex van Warmerdam
who also scripted and played the lead character. Other lead roles were played by Henri Garcin, Annet Malherbe and Olga Zuiderhoek. Supporting roles were played by Loes Luca
and Arend Jan Heerma van Voss among others. Its music was written by Vincent van Waterdam and the film was distributed by First Floor Features.
Abel was Van Warmerdam's directional debut. He at first planned to make the movie in black and white but others discouraged this and he chose colour instead. The vast majority of the movie is situated in a fictive kind of Dutch fifties.
Abel had over 300 000 visitors, and it received a Gouden Kalf for 'Best film' and a Gouden Kalf for 'Best director'. In 1990 the tragedic comedy was named Best Dutch Film of the eighties by the Kring van Nederlandse Journalisten. In 2000 Abel was released on DVD.
Abel was produced in collaboration with Orkater and the VPRO
.
His father enlists a psychiatrist who puts the blame on the parents for their difficult relation; summons a mesmerist who gets frustrated by Abel; and tries to set up his son with a girl in his theater society. After mother and son secretly buy a tv-set father Victor gets furious and turns his son into the streets.
Abel meets Zus, who works at a peepshow called "De Naakte Meisjes" (The naked girls). She takes pity on him. Zus has a relation with a married man and Abel finds out this person is his own father. In the mean time his mother finds out his whereabouts and a confrontation takes place at Zus' place.
1986 in film
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Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Alex van Warmerdam
Alex van Warmerdam
Alex van Warmerdam is a Dutch screenwriter, film director, and actor. He is also a painter.-Biography:He was cofounder of the theatre group Hauser Orkater . In 1980 he founded the theatre group De Mexicaanse Hond , together with his brother Marc van Warmerdam...
who also scripted and played the lead character. Other lead roles were played by Henri Garcin, Annet Malherbe and Olga Zuiderhoek. Supporting roles were played by Loes Luca
Loes Luca
Louise "Loes" Diana Wilhelmina Catharina Luca is a Dutch actress, singer and comedian. She began her career in the 1980s as a stage actress and singer in various musicals. She later started a successful film and television career, starring in Spetters, Het meisje met het rode haar, De...
and Arend Jan Heerma van Voss among others. Its music was written by Vincent van Waterdam and the film was distributed by First Floor Features.
Abel was Van Warmerdam's directional debut. He at first planned to make the movie in black and white but others discouraged this and he chose colour instead. The vast majority of the movie is situated in a fictive kind of Dutch fifties.
Abel had over 300 000 visitors, and it received a Gouden Kalf for 'Best film' and a Gouden Kalf for 'Best director'. In 1990 the tragedic comedy was named Best Dutch Film of the eighties by the Kring van Nederlandse Journalisten. In 2000 Abel was released on DVD.
Abel was produced in collaboration with Orkater and the VPRO
VPRO
The VPRO was established in the Netherlands in 1926 as a religious broadcasting organization. Falling under the Protestant pillar, it represented the Liberal Protestant current...
.
Plot
Abel is a 31 year old boy who still lives at his parents home. He hasn't been out for over 10 years, much to the chagrin of his father Victor. On the other hand he gets spoiled by his mother Duif. He spends most of his days spying on the neighbours, setting up his parents against each other and fruitlessly trying to cut flies in two with an enormous pair of scissors.His father enlists a psychiatrist who puts the blame on the parents for their difficult relation; summons a mesmerist who gets frustrated by Abel; and tries to set up his son with a girl in his theater society. After mother and son secretly buy a tv-set father Victor gets furious and turns his son into the streets.
Abel meets Zus, who works at a peepshow called "De Naakte Meisjes" (The naked girls). She takes pity on him. Zus has a relation with a married man and Abel finds out this person is his own father. In the mean time his mother finds out his whereabouts and a confrontation takes place at Zus' place.
Main cast
- Alex van WarmerdamAlex van WarmerdamAlex van Warmerdam is a Dutch screenwriter, film director, and actor. He is also a painter.-Biography:He was cofounder of the theatre group Hauser Orkater . In 1980 he founded the theatre group De Mexicaanse Hond , together with his brother Marc van Warmerdam...
- Abel - Henri Garcin - father Victor
- Olga Zuiderhoek - mother Duif
- Annet Malherbe - Zus
- Arend Jan Heerma van Vos - psychiatrist
- Anton Kothuis - mesmerist
- Loes LucaLoes LucaLouise "Loes" Diana Wilhelmina Catharina Luca is a Dutch actress, singer and comedian. She began her career in the 1980s as a stage actress and singer in various musicals. She later started a successful film and television career, starring in Spetters, Het meisje met het rode haar, De...
- Christine - Peer Mascini - director