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Left Luggage

  • 19981998
  • UnratedUnrated
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Left Luggage (1998)
  • Drama
Against a background of holocaust memories, a liberal Jewish girl becomes a nanny to a young Jewish boy with a disability and grows fond of him.Against a background of holocaust memories, a liberal Jewish girl becomes a nanny to a young Jewish boy with a disability and grows fond of him.Against a background of holocaust memories, a liberal Jewish girl becomes a nanny to a young Jewish boy with a disability and grows fond of him.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Jeroen Krabbé
  • Writers
    • Carl Friedman(novel "Twee Koffers Vol")
    • Edwin de Vries
  • Stars
    • Laura Fraser
    • Adam Monty
    • Isabella Rossellini
Top credits
  • Director
    • Jeroen Krabbé
  • Writers
    • Carl Friedman(novel "Twee Koffers Vol")
    • Edwin de Vries
  • Stars
    • Laura Fraser
    • Adam Monty
    • Isabella Rossellini
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 29User reviews
    • 29Critic reviews
    • 51Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 4 nominations

    Photos9

    Left Luggage (1998)
    Left Luggage (1998)
    Left Luggage (1998)
    Left Luggage (1998)
    Laura Fraser and Marianne Sägebrecht in Left Luggage (1998)
    Isabella Rossellini in Left Luggage (1998)
    Maximilian Schell in Left Luggage (1998)
    Left Luggage (1998)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Laura Fraser
    Laura Fraser
    • Chajaas Chaja
    Adam Monty
    • Simchaas Simcha
    Isabella Rossellini
    Isabella Rossellini
    • Mrs. Kalmanas Mrs. Kalman
    Jeroen Krabbé
    Jeroen Krabbé
    • Mr. Kalmanas Mr. Kalman
    Topol
    Topol
    • Mr. Apfelschnittas Mr. Apfelschnitt
    • (as Chaim Topol)
    Marianne Sägebrecht
    Marianne Sägebrecht
    • Chaja's Motheras Chaja's Mother
    • (as Marianne Saegebrecht)
    Maximilian Schell
    Maximilian Schell
    • Chaja's Fatheras Chaja's Father
    David Bradley
    David Bradley
    • Conciergeas Concierge
    Heather Weeks
    • Sofieas Sofie
    Miriam Margolyes
    Miriam Margolyes
    • Mrs. Goldblumas Mrs. Goldblum
    Lex Goudsmit
    • Mr. Goldblumas Mr. Goldblum
    Krijn ter Braak
    • Grandfatheras Grandfather
    Mieke Verheyden
    • Grandmotheras Grandmother
    • (as Mieke Verheijden)
    Noura Van der Berg
    • Selmaas Selma
    Lana Broekaert
    • Chaja (7 Years)as Chaja (7 Years)
    Koen De Bouw
    Koen De Bouw
    • Father (20 years)as Father (20 years)
    Edwin de Vries
    • Hasid 1as Hasid 1
    Bart de Vries
    • Hasid 2as Hasid 2
    • Director
      • Jeroen Krabbé
    • Writers
      • Carl Friedman(novel "Twee Koffers Vol")
      • Edwin de Vries
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    While escaping from Nazis during the WWII, a Jewish man dug suitcases full of things dear to his heart in the ground two. The war deprived him of his family, and afterwards he endlessly turns over the soil of Antwerp to find the suitcases, which makes him look obsessed. He keeps checking old maps and keeps digging, trying to find, in fact, those he lost. His daughter Chaya is a beautiful modern girl looking for a part-time job. She finds a place as a nanny in the strictly observant Chassidic family with many children, although her secular manners clearly fly in the face of many commandments. One of the reasons she is accepted is that mother of the family is absolutely overburdened by the household, so she stays despite the resistance of the father, normally - an indisputable authority in the family. She develops a special bond with the youngest of the boys, four-year old Simcha, so far incapable of speaking. She teaches him while walking in the park, and it seems that during the upcoming Passover Seder, Simcha will be able to chant parts of the Haggadah. The old repulsive superintendent of the building is a constant wet blanket for the entire family and now for Chaya. However, as opposed to the observant Jews, she cannot be a victim and is not going to put up with his anti-Semitic tricks, so she fights him, thus exciting the children's admiration and family head's wrath. Unfortunately, walks with Simcha end in a tragedy: after sneaking to the park, he drowns in the pond, and some Chassids hold Chaya responsible. A beautiful, warm picture filled with compassion and humanism, making understandable even the behavior of the superintendent - a mean pathetic anti-Semite: he is so terribly lonely that has only his dog to talk to. —Yan Mazor & M.Ivanov
    • female nudity
    • female frontal nudity
    • orthodox jew
    • memory
    • female protagonist
    • 11 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • Unrated
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Although Edwin de Vries is credited as the sole screenwriter, he admitted that he got some helpful input from Robert Mark Kamen in exchange for a painting created by director Jeroen Krabbé and a special thanks in the credits. One of Kamen's suggestions was to make Simcha (Adam Monty) mute, until his interaction with Chaja (Laura Fraser) slowly makes him talk again. Writer Carl Friedman, author of the original novel, was very enthusiastic about this addition, and regretted that she had not come up with the idea herself.
    • Quotes

      Mrs. Silberschmidt, Chaya's Mother: It's not the luggage he lost in that filthy war, it was himself.

    • Connections
      Referenced in Ausverkauft! (1999)
    • Soundtracks
      Music box theme
      from "Trois Gymnopédies"

      Composed by Erik Satie

    User reviews29

    Review
    Top review
    Visual Poetry/Great First Directing Effort
    Saw this wonderful film at the Chicago Film Festival. Cast was excellent, story was thought-provoking...but the best element was the inspired direction by actor Jeroen Krabbe. It was truly visual poetry, and gut-wrenching at that.
    helpful•3
    1
    • MicheBel
    • Oct 20, 1998

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 30, 1998 (Netherlands)
    • Countries of origin
      • Netherlands
      • United Kingdom
      • Belgium
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Hebrew
      • Yiddish
    • Also known as
      • Älskade simcha
    • Filming locations
      • Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
    • Production companies
      • CoBo Fonds
      • Creative Investment
      • De Vensche
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,069,540
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,111,280
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby SR
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

    Related news

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    Maximilian Schell obituary
    Feb 3The Guardian - TV News

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