Womb (2010)

Director:

Benedek Fliegauf

Writer:

Benedek Fliegauf (written by)

Release Date:

20 January 2011 (Russia)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

What are the consequences of giving birth to your dead boyfriend?

Plot:

A woman's consuming love forces her to bear the clone of her dead beloved. From his infancy to manhood, she faces the unavoidable complexities of her controversial decision. |

Plot Keywords:

Clone | Love | Death | Freudian | Nipples Visible Through Clothing

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Eva Green	...	Rebecca
Matt Smith	...	Thomas
Lesley Manville	...	Judith
Peter Wight	...	Ralph
István Lénárt	...	Henry
Hannah Murray	...	Monica
Ruby O. Fee	...	Rebecca - 9 years
Tristan Christopher	...	Thomas - 10 years
Jesse Hoffmann	...	Thomas - 5 years
Natalia Tena	...	Rose
Ella Smith	...	Molly
Wunmi Mosaku	...	Erica
Alexander Goeller	...	Marc
Gina Stiebitz	...	Dima
Adrian Wahlen	...	Eric
Amanda Lawrence	...	Teacher
Jennifer Lim	...	Mrs. Muju
Tina Engel	...	Doctor
Lukas Hawkins	...	Teenage Boy 1
Lukas Sweetwood	...	Teenage Boy 2
Fabian Hundertmark	...	Teenage Boy 3
Kata Petra Kiss	...	Thomas Baby
Anna-Zsófia Drávucz	...	Thomas Baby
Jerun Minguell Agundez	...	Thomas Baby
Péter Erik Tóth	...	Thomas Baby
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Noah Hedges

Directed by
Benedek Fliegauf

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Benedek Fliegauf		written by

Produced by
Marc Baschet	....	co-producer
Peter Hermann	....	line producer
Cédomir Kolar	....	co-producer
István Major	....	line producer
Verona Meier	....	assistant producer
Daniela Meixner	....	executive producer
Gerhard Meixner	....	producer
Ernö Mesterházy	....	executive producer
András Muhi	....	producer
Mónika Mécs	....	executive producer
Roman Paul	....	producer
Edda Reiser	....	junior producer

Original Music by
Max Richter

Cinematography by
Péter Szatmári

Film Editing by
Xavier Box

Casting by
Shaheen Baig
Jacqueline Rietz

Production Design by
Erwin Prib

Art Direction by
Seth Turner

Set Decoration by
Britta Albert

Costume Design by
Mariano Tufano

Makeup Department
Orla Carrol	....	hair stylist: Eva Green
Maike Heinlein	....	additional makeup
Jeanette Kellermann	....	second makeup artist
Sabine Schumann	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bettina Brenner	....	assistant production accountant
Rebekka Garrido	....	post-production supervisor
Olaf Kirbach	....	unit manager
Michel Reilhac	....	commissioning editor
Meinolf Zurhorst	....	commissioning editor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Margarethe Heitmüller	....	first assistant director
Scott Kirby	....	first assistant director
Finn Pelke	....	third assistant director
David Steinberger	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Anna Allkämper	....	painter
Kai Anacker-Santarovich	....	carpenter
Ron Büttner	....	set dresser
Fee Doßmann	....	lead painter
Axel Eichhorst	....	storyboard artist
Peter Frenzel	....	carpenter
Lothar Heinert	....	construction manager
Claudia Hoppmann	....	prop buyer
Philipp Hübner	....	stand-by construction
Macarena Zuniga Infante	....	painter
Sven Kastanowiczx	....	carpenter
Ralf Kirchhof	....	construction foreman
Katrin Kolbe	....	assistant production designer
Ivan Lacar	....	painter
Ivan Lacar	....	plasterer
Jurek Lange	....	carpenter
Manuela Lobrecht	....	painter
Björn Lüpke	....	prop driver
Hans Lütjens	....	carpenter
Godja Momsen	....	painter
Thorsten Münchx	....	carpenter
Michael Nitsch	....	painter
Michael Nitsch	....	plasterer
Ulrike Prib	....	concept artist
Michael Reinemann	....	carpenter
Julia Roeske	....	set dresser
Stefan Rohner	....	set dresser
Klaus Rudat	....	carpenter
Tobias Schroeter	....	supervising sculptor: Walrus statue
Michael Schroll	....	construction foreman: studio unit
Christine Stahl	....	art department intern
Michael Steinbacher	....	stand-by propman
Fryderyk Swierczynski	....	art department intern
Detlef Zillich	....	carpenter
Andreas Zitlow	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Adrian Baumeister	....	dialogue & adr editor
Tamás Beke	....	sound designer
Tom Deane	....	adr mixer
Benedek Fliegauf	....	keyboard
Benedek Fliegauf	....	sound designer
Lars Ginzel	....	sound re-recording mixer
Noemi Hampel	....	foley editor
Eric Horstmann	....	sound engineer
Christian Lerch	....	dolby consultant
Pendle Poucher	....	dulcitone recording
Carsten Richter	....	foley artist
Matthias Richter	....	additional production sound mixer
Oliver Schnug	....	boom operator
Lionel Strutt	....	adr coordinator
Hanse Warns	....	foley recordist
Arno Wilms	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Norbert Skodock	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Britt Dunse	....	title designer
Rudolf Germann	....	visual effects artist
Philipp Großmann	....	scanning supervisor
Jochen Hinrichs-Stöldt	....	telecine operator
Nadir Mansouri	....	lead digital colourist
Florian Obrecht	....	visual effects artist
Florian Obrecht	....	visual effects supervisor
Gregor Pfüller	....	digital intermediate supervisor
Kolja Schoon	....	scanning operator
Gregor Wille	....	digital intermediate supervisor

Stunts
Volkhard Buff	....	stunt crew
Christian Edler	....	stunt stand-in
Klara Kamm	....	stunt stand-in
Daniela Stein	....	stunt double: Eva Green
Kristen van Dernoot	....	stunt stand-in

Camera and Electrical Department
Wolfgang Borrs	....	still photographer
Benjamin Cantu	....	making-of
Martin Erbe	....	clapper loader
Eva Fleig	....	director of photography: second unit
Zsolt Horváth	....	electrician
András Hámori	....	best boy
Jasenko Joldic	....	video operator
János Kiss	....	key grip
Sebastian Meuschel	....	steadicam operator
Krisztián Paluch	....	gaffer
Tibor Puchala	....	dolly grip
Mathias Reichmann	....	focus puller: second unit
Johannes Schorch	....	additional clapper loader
György Simon	....	electrician
József Takács	....	focus puller
István Ysz	....	electrician

Casting Department
Naomi Jalil	....	casting associate
Hanga Kurucz	....	baby casting
Iris Müller	....	extras casting
Katrin Poppelbaum	....	extras casting
Oliver Poppelbaum	....	extras casting
Johanna Ragwitz	....	baby casting
Aisha Walters	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Chiara Brunet	....	costume intern
Siba Fallahi	....	wardrobe
Anja Lafin	....	costume aging
Lisa Schrimpf	....	costume intern
Claudia Torsiello	....	assistant costume designer
Julieta Álvarez	....	tailor and seamstress

Editorial Department
Stefan Ciupek	....	supervising colorist
Karen Kramatschek	....	editing assistant
Ruth Raatz	....	colour timer
Michael Reuter	....	post-production supervisor
Patricia Rommel	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Benedek Fliegauf	....	composer: additional music
Dave Foster	....	music preparation
Dave Foster	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Birk Mueller	....	transportation coordinator
Felix Offermann	....	production driver
Tom Strelow	....	production driver
Wladik Subow	....	production driver

Other crew
Akgün Akdogan	....	prep team 2008 - production design
Dorissa Berninger	....	prep team 2008 - production
Jan Bludau	....	prep team 2008 - production
Julia Brasch	....	prep team 2008 - production design
Mathias Braun	....	location scout
Laurence Coriat	....	script consultant
Sára Czira	....	assistant to director
Clarice de Castro	....	prep team 2008 - production
Sabine Feuerbach	....	set runner
Kay Furtak	....	caterer
Anita Gerencsér	....	assistant to producer: Hungary
Marion Gerhardt	....	location scout
Roland Gerhardt	....	location scout
Tayfun Görgülü	....	set runner
Monika Helmer	....	production accountant
Marco Heyse	....	animal coach
Birgit Kniep	....	prep team 2008 - production design
Hanga Kurucz	....	production coordinator: Hungary
Anton Ludwig	....	set runner
Corinna Mackowiak	....	production coordinator
Manuela Naumann	....	set runner
Dora Nedeczky	....	production assistant: development (as Dóra Nedeczky)
Levke Palm	....	location manager
Jessica Petzold	....	prep team 2008 - production
Ralph Remstedt	....	prep team 2008 - first assistant director
Carola Richter	....	assistant production coordinator
Carola Richter	....	production assistant
Franz Rodenkirchen	....	additional dramaturgical advisor
Christian Routh	....	script editor
Matthias Ruppelt	....	prep team 2008 - production
Sophia Sanwald	....	prep team 2008 - production design
Axel Schill	....	script continuity
Sari Anna Semerau	....	prep team 2008 - production design
Hanna Solms	....	prep team 2008 - production design
Laura Strack	....	post production assistant
Neil Swain	....	dialogue coach
Neil Swain	....	voice coach
Elisabeth Szasz	....	script translator
Karin Verbeek	....	prep team 2008 - production design
Maria Vogel	....	post production assistant
Markus Wylegalla	....	caterer
Jessica Zimmermann	....	production assistant

Thanks
Ingo Hasselbach	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Razor Film Produktion GmbH
• Inforg Stúdió
• Asap Films
• arte France Cinéma
• ZDF/Arte
• Boje Buck Produktion

Distributors

• Bolero Film (2012) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2011) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Mozinet (2011) (Hungary) (theatrical)
• Arrow Films (2012) (UK) (all media)
• Arte (2011) (France) (TV)
• Camino Filmverleih (2011) (Germany) (all media)
• Film1 Sundance Channel (2013) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Gryphon Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (DVD)
• Lighthouse Home Entertainment (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lighthouse Pictures (2011) (Singapore) (all media)
• Olive Films (2011) (Canada) (all media)
• Olive Films (2011) (USA) (all media)
• ZDF Tivi (2011) (Germany) (TV)

Other Companies

• Sparks  grip and lighting equipment
• Abacus Consult  accounting: audit
• Concorde Film Trust  funding
• Deutsche Filmförderfonds (DFFF)  funding
• Eurimages  funding
• Filmförderung Hamburg  funding
• Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA)  funding
• Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg  funding
• Ministry of Education and Culture  funding
• Motion Picture Public Foundation of Hungary  funding
• National Cultural Fund  funding
• Tonstudio Hanse Warns  foley stage
• i2i Audiovisual  funding

Also Known As:

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

Germany | Hungary | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:R21 | Hong Kong:III (film festival rating) | Germany:16 | Australia:M | South Korea:18 | Italy:VM14 | Switzerland:16

Filming Locations:

Sylt, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Company:

Razor Film Produktion GmbH

Quotes:

Rebecca:Its over. I will always speak to you, and I don't mind if you don't say anything. Just because you went away, it doesn't mean you're not here anymore. Perhaps all I ever needed was this gift, the one you gave to me at the end.

Slow but still worth a look (maybe)...

I know this is not a film that everyone will like; the slow pacing and the fact it's about relationships will put many off. But if you're prepared to be patient it does throw up some very interesting questions. I loved the way it was shot and the haunting score (by Max Richter) fitted the piece perfectly. I think the visuals would have had a little more impact on the big screen, but I still found it quite an impressive visual feast. On a dramatic level I did find it was a little too serious and a little levity here and there would have helped. Other than that I found it perfectly acceptable, although I freely admit it may not be to everyone's taste.

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 6.8/10

You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.