Antonia's Line

Shown: 12 April 1999
Sponsored and introduced by Paula Thelwell

Belgium/Netherlands/UK 1995
Directed by Marlene Gorris
Leading players - Willeke van Ammelrooy, Els Dottermans and Dora van der Groen

Synopsis

Antonia's line was nominated for an Oscar for "Best Foreign Film" in 1996 and has won various other titles in its native Netherlands.

The story is set in an unknown Dutch village after the Second World War. Antonia (Willeke van Ammelrooy) has returned to bury her elderly mother. The funeral is no ordinary one with strange happenings, from the dead woman singing a song to a stone angel getting revenge.

Antonia is reunited with old friends, among them is Farmer Bas who is looking for a mother figure for his five boys and therefore proposes to Antonia. Not interested, she offers him some odd chores to do, with the payment being in the bodily form!

Antonia's daughter, Danielle (Els Dottermans), as self willed as her mother now wants her own child but not a husband. Volunteers are found, the local priest being one. Antonia's family is growing continuously - they all live by one rule, which is to look for good in others and not to criticise those who have found a way to be happy.

* * * * * *

The film covers a time period of fifty years and this is convincingly portrayed showing the fads and fashions of the times.

Good humour has a strong part to play but here are two days that have an unhappy feel, again the women in the film triumph over evil with Gorris' philosophy being that feminism is good and masculinity bad being brought to light.

Antonia knows that even when her chronicle of time passing finishes, nothing will have come to an end!