Seagulls Die in the Harbour ( Meeuwen sterven in de haven ) ( Les Mouettes meurent au port )

Seagulls Die in the Harbour (DVD) (*)

~~$24.99~~ $18.97

Original Title: Meeuwen sterven in de haven
Alternate Title: Les Mouettes meurent au port
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Cannes Film Festival

Language Selections:
Dutch ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Dutch ( Subtitles )
English ( Subtitles )
French ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
Belgium ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
82 min + 107 min extras

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.66:1)

Special Features:
Documentary
Interactive Menu
Scene Access
Short Film
Trailer(s)
Black & White

Movie filmed in 1955 and produced in:
Belgium ( France, Benelux )

Directed By:
Rik Kuypers
Ivo Michiels

Written By:
Rik Kuypers
Ivo Michiels

Actors:
Tine Balder ..... Schippersvrouw
Tone Brulin ..... Pooier
Alice De Graef ..... Schipper
Jenny Deheyder ..... Weesmeisje
Piet Frison ..... Vreemdeling
Gigi ..... Prostituée
Bob Kaesen
Désiré Kaesen
Eric Peter
Marcel Philippe
Julien Schoenaerts
Paul S'Jongers
Panchita Van de Perre
Dora van der Groen
Albert Van der Sanden
Miriam Verbeeck
Geneviève Wayenbergh

Synopsis:

A pessimistic urban drama, with a musical score by Jack Sels and Max Damasse, charts in strongly expressionistically lit black-and-white images the wanderings of a tormented man through the cosmopolitan port city of Antwerp. The only people to show him understanding are an orphan and two disillusioned women.

Seagulls only feature briefly in this landmark Flemish feature, which played at the 1956 Cannes Festival, but their presence provides an important metaphor. Our protagonist is a baby-faced vagrant who emerges mysteriously from the harbour in Antwerp, wandering the streets with little apparent purpose but to find sanctuary. Dressed in a dark body-length jacket, he cuts a sinister figure and many of the city's residents distrust him based on image alone. During his travels, he manages to establish connections with a few women and a young Francophone orphan. As the city gradually warms to his presence, we learn secrets from his past, and how he ended up as he is. Considering its aesthetic merits, it is a surprise to learn that this film was helmed by relative novices in the field. The lighting - sfumato in the daytime and chiaroscuro at night - adds great depth to the photography and mirrors the protagonist's state of mind. Antwerp is more than just the backdrop, and the camera takes every opportunity to drink in its unique architecture - at one point the camera rises above rooftop level to present the city as a whole. Though the film is ultimately about the individual, a whole host of characters is featured to create an understanding of the protagonist's isolation, and this makes his search for a sense of belonging so poignant. Suave but sensitive, Seagulls Die In The Harbour might not be a particularly vital film, but one would do well to file it under 'hidden gems'.

This product was added to our catalog on Tuesday 03 October, 2006.

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