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AALTRA |
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Director:
Benoît Delépine
Gustave de Kervern
Screenplay:
Benoît Delépine
Gustave de Kervern
Cast:
Ben: Benoît Delépine
Gus: Gustave de Kervern
Awards:
FIPRESCI Prize (Benoît Delépine & Gustave
de Kervern), London Film Festival (2004)
Running time: 92’
Production: Belgium, 2004
Rating: Not rated
Gauge: 35mm, DVD (B&W)
Distributor:
Film Movement
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“Masters
of underplaying, they [Delépine and Kervern] mine
laughs in the minimal gesture or look, without resorting
to slapstick. Dialogue is pared to a minimum, allowing
for the dry visuals to take front and center. The cool,
confident camera mostly maintains a passive distance,
just observing the action and letting it cross the widescreen
on its own.” Jay Weissberg, Variety |
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Two neighbors
in the Belgian countryside: Gus, a white-collar worker, and
Ben, a farmer, despise one another. One day, in the midst
of a fight, an accident with a tractor leaves them both paralyzed,
wheelchair-bound, and spiteful. Rather than feeling sorry
for themselves, the embittered paraplegics decide to seek
revenge against the tractor’s manufacturer, Aaltra.
They set out to Finland, directing their frustrations towards
people they meet on their way. They steal money, food, and
even an electric wheelchair that belongs to an old lady. They
abuse people’s compassion towards them but when they
at last reach the company’s headquarters, they are in
for a big surprise… Captured in sharp black-and-white
photography that complements its visual gags, Aaltra undermines
conventional attitudes toward the disabled with its dry wit
and acerbic, vengeful characters. In this film, the disabled
protagonists are simply normal human beings, at times a bit
stupid, a bit nasty, and often funny. Actors Benoît
Delépine and Gustave Kervern, who wrote, directed and
co-star, show a distinct flair for understated physical comedy
and politically incorrect humor.
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| PHOTO Film Movement |
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