Antonia's Line - Foreign Films Classic Movies on DVD (1995) Starring Willeke Van Ammelrooy; Directed by Marleen Gorris; First Look Pictures : OLDIES.com

DVD Features:

Encoding: Region 1; USA & Canada
Package Type: Keep Case
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen

Major Awards:

Academy Awards - Best Foreign Language Film (1995)

Entertainment Reviews:

Sight and Sound - 09/01/1996

"...Bold...Robust, feminist fare....Strong storytelling..."

Entertainment Weekly - 03/29/1996

"Wonderfully earthy, funny, and sexy....[Van Ammelrooy] deserves to be a movie star." -- Rating: A-

Variety - 06/26/1995

"...A feel-good fairy tale....It is a warm-hearted and empowering experience..."

Film Comment - 11/01/1995

"...ANTONIA'S LINE cherishes the possibility of continuity and civilization, a rare and hopeful sign at the end of our chaotic century..."

New York Times - 02/02/1996

"...A work of magical feminism. With the tone of a fable and the lulling bucolic look of a pastoral fantasy..."

Chicago Sun-Times - 02/14/1996

"...The experience of the film lulls us into a strange and wonderful mood..."

Product Description:

Following World War II, a woman returns to the Dutch countryside to raise her young daughter, ultimately founding a sort of open-use commune wherein the residents defy convention and live life as they please. A gentle comic drama. Academy Awards: Best Foreign Language Film.

Plot Synopsis:

This Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film embarks on a fanciful, magical exploration of the life of a strong-minded, nonconforming Dutch woman and her descendants.
As the story begins, the elderly Antonia is convinced that she is going to die that very day. With the end approaching, she reflects for the last time on her long, fruitful life.
The film then flashes back to the end of World War II, when the 40-year-old Antonia returned to the small farming community where she grew up. With her teenage daughter Danielle in tow, and without a husband, Antonia intends to start a new life. Before long, she has become a successful farmer and an integral part of the village, although she challenges the strict customs so loved by many residents. In the process, she touches the lives of everyone around her.

Plot Keywords:

Exerpts:

"What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve about." -- Antonia (WILLEKE VAN AMMELROOY)

Production Notes:

Co-produced by Bergen/Prime Time/Bard Entertainments/NPS Televisie in association with Investco (Belgium)/the European Co-Production Fund (U.K.)/Nederlands Fonds Voor de Film/Fonds Film in Vlaanderen/Stimuleringsfonds Nederlandse/Culturele Omroepprodukties/Coproduktiefonds Binnenlandse Omroep/the Eurimages Fund of the Council of Europe.
Released theatrically in New York City February 2, 1996.
Winner of Best Director at the Hamptons International Film Festival.
Winner of Best Screenplay at the Chicago International Film Festival.
Winner of the Toronto Film Festival's Audience Award.
When the film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, only women were allowed to attend the first screening.
Additional cast: Catherine ten Bruggencate (Mad Madonna); Jan Steen (Loony Lips); Veerle Van Overloop (Therese); Elsie De Brauw (Lara); Thyrza Ravesteijn (Sarah); and Dora Van Der Groen (Allegonde).
Rated BBFC 15 by the British Board of Film Classification.