Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream That One Calls Human Life (1995) Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life (original title)

Directors:

Stephen Quay
Timothy Quay

Writers:

Alan Passes
Stephen Quay
(more)

Release Date:

23 August 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Jakob arrives at the Institute Benjamenta (run by brother and sister Johannes and Lisa Benjamenta) to learn to become a servant...

Plot Keywords:

Servant | Funeral | Fork | Cult Film | Philosophy

Awards:

4 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Mark Rylance	...	Jakob
Alice Krige	...	Lisa Benjamenta
Gottfried John	...	Herr Benjamenta
Daniel Smith	...	Kraus
Joseph Alessi	...	Pepino
Jonathan Stone	...	Hebling
César Sarachu	...	Inigo (as Cesar Sarachu)
Peter Lovstrom	...	Jorgenson
Uri Roodner	...	Schilinski
Peter Whitfield	...	Null

Directed by
Stephen Quay
Timothy Quay

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Alan Passes
Stephen Quay
Timothy Quay
Robert Walser		novel "Jakob von Gunten"

Produced by
Karl Baumgartner	....	producer
Keith Griffiths	....	producer
Janine Marmot	....	producer
Katsue Tomiyama	....	producer

Original Music by
Lech Jankowski

Cinematography by
Nicholas D. Knowland

Film Editing by
Larry Sider

Casting by
Irene Lamb

Production Design by
Jennifer Kernke

Art Direction by
Alison Riva

Costume Design by
Nicky Gillbrand

Makeup Department
Caroline Clements	....	makeup artist
Suzie Zamit	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Gina Carter	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Finn McGrath	....	second assistant director
Jez Murrell	....	third assistant director
Mary Soan	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Tom Burton	....	assistant art director
Paul Cutler	....	property master
Cathy Ryan	....	scenic artist
Joanna Tyler	....	art assistant
Vanda Vivian	....	property buyer

Sound Department
Richard Finney	....	sound maintenance (as Richie Finney)
Peter Glossop	....	production sound mixer
Diane Greaves	....	foley artist
Colin Martin	....	dubbing mixer
Larry Sider	....	sound
Matt Skilton	....	foley recordist
Jack Stew	....	foley artist
Richard Spooner	....	sound assistant (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Dave Crownshaw	....	special effects technician

Camera and Electrical Department
Glyn Fielding	....	grip
Jill Furmanovsky	....	still photographer
Alessandra Scherillo	....	focus puller
David Smith	....	gaffer
Tiffany Walker	....	clapper loader

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Zeb Ibrahim	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Emily Lincoln	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Nuala Alen-Buckley	....	production accountant
Hilary Benson	....	production coordinator
Kim Brandstrup	....	choreographer
Andy Hennigan	....	production accountant
Jason Hocking	....	assistant to producers
Diane Taylor	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Image Forum
• Koninck Studios
• Pandora Filmproduktion

Distributors

• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (Czech Republic)
• E.D. Distribution (France)
• Zeitgeist Films (1996) (USA)

Special Effects

• Snow Business International (snow effects)

Other Companies

• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Tru-Cut  negative cutting

Also Known As:

"Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life" - UK (original title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

UK | Japan | Germany

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:U | UK:PG

Company:

Image Forum

Quotes:

Jakob:I shall never let myself be rescued, nor shall I ever rescue anybody.

Movie Connections:

Version of Jakob von Gunten (1971) (TV)

A unique experience, a work of exceeding beauty

Institute Benjamenta is an oddity. Let me say that first, get it out of the way. Part of me hesitates from revealing here that it is one of my favourite films of all time because I know I'll make some people reading this mini-review approach it from the wrong angle. A film like this should never become required viewing. You should stumble across it at a repertory cinema somewhere or be beguiled by the video-box art showing the striking visage of Alice Krige as she paces before her blackboard, deerfoot staff in hand. You should find one evening that its the only thing that sounds interesting on TV, or peer at a still alongside a mention in your TV guide and wonder what on earth the picture is supposed to depict. Contained between main and end credits here is a world so visually ravishing and technically abstruse that you are only in the film while you are watching; the rules of the outside do not apply. You peer into the dreamy, foggy black-and-white and what you can't identify for certain your imagination fills out. These are the most special special effects because you wonder 'what' and 'why' by never 'how.' The Institute of the title is a school for servants, the lessons they are taught bizarre and repetitive to the point of making 'deja-vu' a permanent state of being. Is the repetition the point of it all or has the teacher lost the plot? If she has, how come we care? None of this is vaguely like real life. None of it, that is, bar the characters emotions. Or is the whole thing like real life, like Life with a capital 'L?' In the end does this sort of pondering make for a good movie? I won't answer that because I'm terribly biased. Remember the title and look it up sometime. It's the cinematic equivalent of a stunning old-fashioned magician's trick. A monochrome bouquet, a sad smile. There are images, scenes that may make the hairs on the back of your neck think they're a cornfield with a twister on the way. I tried to warn you as quietly as I could.