The Sea That Thinks (2000)
"De zee die denkt" (original title)

Incredible optical illusions in a story in a story in a story helps the surprised viewer finally to find out that he has been watching himself all along.

Director:

Gert de Graaff

Writer:

Gert de Graaff

Stars:

Bart Klever, Devika Strooker, Rick de Leeuw

6 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Bart Klever	...	Klever, Bart
Devika Strooker	...	Marga
Rick de Leeuw	...	Himself
Don Duyns	...	Duyns, Don

Storyline

The Sea That Thinks is a surprising film about itself. A film overflowing with twists and turns and new angles. It focuses on Bart, a scriptwriter who is writing the script for this film. In the film, Bart himself plays the scriptwriter writing the script of The Sea That Thinks. He types what he does and does what he types. In his film, he finds the answer to the urgent question: How do we find happiness? He uses stunning examples to show us that our world is only to be found in our consciousness. What is real and what is illusion? Do we believe in our dream world while we dream? Do we believe in the reality of film while we see it? And why? His combination of pictures and text has a hypnotic effect on the viewer. It provides an exciting, dislocating and humorous adventure. Later it also becomes apparent that the film is not about this tormented scriptwriter at all. In a game filled with optical illusions and continually changing points of view, the surprised viewers gradually find ...

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Plot Keywords:

illusion | dream | writing | optical illusion | circle | 

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Taglines:

Someone in your head is watching your thoughts!

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

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Details

Official Sites:

Studio Nieuwe Gronden [nl (Dutch, English)

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch

Release Date:

21 December 2000 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

The Sea That Thinks

Company Credits

Production Co:

SNG Film / Studio Nieuwe Gronden, Theorema Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Features Tokyo-Ga (1985)

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Soundtracks

"Blue"
Derek Jarman
Simon Fisher-Turner (as Simon Fisher Turner)
Marvin Black
David Lewis
James Mackay
Mute Records Limited

User Reviews

3.5 stars

The plot doesn't begin to describe the film: a man is writing a film, or rather, *this* film. It's totally self referential to the point that you think it's going to fold in on itself like a black hole. The writer writes something and it happens, or something happens and he writes about it.

It's very philosophical, like "Waking Life" but more Zen oriented and for that matter, much better, in my opinion. At one point there are person-on-the-street interviews and then you see shots of these people being filmed, and then you discover that their responses are scripted when one keeps flubbing her lines. There is beautiful scenery and optical illusions.

I hope it comes out on DVD so I can watch it again more carefully. Seen at Cinequest (the San Jose, CA film festival) on 2/25/2002.