INSTITUTE BENJAMENTA


SYNOPSIS
Jakob arrives at the Institute Benjamenta (run by brother and sister Johannes and Lisa Benjamenta) to learn to become a servant. He studies absurd lessons of movement, drawing circles, and servility. No other students arrive and none leave for employment. Lisa is beautiful, at first tightly controlled, then on the verge of breakdown. There's a whiff of incest. Jakob is drawn to Lisa, and perhaps she to him. As winter sets in, she becomes catatonic. Things get worse; Johannes notes that all this has happened since Jakob came. Is there any cause and effect?

DIRECTORStephen Quay, Timothy Quay
YEAR1994
STATUScompleted

 
CASTMark Rylance
Alice Krige
Gottfried John
Daniel Smith
Joseph Alessi
Jonathan Stone
César Saracho
Peter Lovstrom
Uri Roodner
Peter Withfield

 
CO PRODUCTION WITHImage Forum
Konick Studios
Pandora Film
SUPPORTED BY
WORLD SALESFilms 4 Limited (London)
GERMAN DISTRIBUTORPandora Film / Kinowelt

 
LENGTH104 min.
FORMATblack/white
35mm
1:1:85
Mono
SHOOTING LOCATIONUK
ORIGINAL LANGUAGEEnglish

 
PRODUCERSKeith Griffiths
Karl Baumgartner
Janine Marmot
Katsue Tomiyama
WRITERSAlan Passes
Stephen Quay
Timothy Quay(based on the novel "Jakob von Gunten" by Robert Walser)
CASTINGIrene Lamb
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHYNicholas D. Knowland
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENTFinn McGrath
Jez Murell
Mary Soan (assistant directors)
EDITINGLarry Sider
MUSICLech Jankowski
SOUNDPeter Glossop
Larry Sider
ART DIRECTIONJennifer Kernke (production designer)
Alison Riva (art director)
COSTUMESNicky Gillbrand
MAKE UP HAIRSuzie Zamit

 
SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLEn/s
DVD VIDEO AVAILABLEyes
LINKSn/s