The read
It runs long at 2h 33m.
Synopsis
An Antwerp journalist finds his daily life increasingly disrupted by unexplained phenomena, such as an authentic letter from 1919 that refers to an event taking place at a much later date. Because these disturbances are consistently linked to the name “Joachim Stiller,” the journalist becomes obsessed with it. The resolution, which is closely tied to his traumatic experiences from the Second World War, takes place with a psychiatrist—and later at an abandoned railway station in an Antwerp suburb. Interwoven with this is a subplot about an Antwerp art dealer who believes he can become rich through a new form of painting. To achieve this, he takes a mentally disabled artist hostage. The narrative also follows various romantic entanglements involving the journalist, which ultimately lead to his happy experience of fatherhood.
Ratings
11 audience votes
Key crew
- Harry KümelDirector
- Harry KümelWriter
- Jan BlokkerWriter
- Pieter VerlindenOriginal Music Composer
- Jean FerryWriter
Cast
- Hugo MetsersFreek Groenevelt
- Cox HabbemaSimone Marijnissen
- Willeke van AmmelrooyLily
- Ward De RavetWiebrand Zijlstra
- Charles JanssensSiegfried
- Dora van der GroenMadame Frans
- Raf ReymenDirekteur lijkenhuis
- Joan RemmeltsAndreas Colijn
- Peter StrynckxJoachim Stiller
- Gaston VandermeulenSchepen Keldermans
- Bert AndréMorgue Assistant
- Jo De MeyereSecretary