Underplayed Gems

Antwerp Central (2011)

Antwerp Central poster
Original title
Antwerpen Centraal
Directed by
Peter Krüger
Genre
drama film
Country
Belgium
Runtime
1h 33m
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A traveler arrives at Antwerp Central station and through his dreams and memories we see the building as a place where past and present mix. The film is a contemplative look at the station and the way history and daily life overlap.

contemplativedreamlikeslow-burnmelancholicironichistoricalmagical realisticobservational

What happens

Antwerp Central is a Belgian feature film, which was screened at several film festivals in 2011 and received its world premiere in Montreal at the International Festival of Films on Art, where it won the 29th, FIFA Montréal, Winner Grand Prix. The film is written and directed by Peter Krüger. Drawing inspiration from the book Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald the film is a historical, mildly ironic and contemplative look at the Central Station in Antwerp as a magical realistic location where past and present, history and daily life, fiction and reality are in constant flux. Running as a thread through the film are the dreams and reminiscences of a traveler, played by Johan Leysen, who arrives at Antwerp Central and through whose eyes we observe the station. The film's cast includes Johan Leysen (traveler), and Thessa Krüger (little girl). (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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