Themes: Boarding School Life, Mind Games, Love Triangles
Main Cast: Mark Rylance, Alice Krige, Gottfried John, Daniel Smith, Joseph Alessi
Release Year: 1995
Country: UK
Run Time: 105 minutes
Plot
From the directing team of identical twin brothers Timothy Quay and Stephen Quay, Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life focuses on the experiences of Jakob Von Gunten (Mark Rylance), who has come to the titular institute to train to become a manservant. Amidst a series of unorthodox lessons under the instruction of brother and sister Johannes Benjamenta (Gottfried John) and Lisa Benjamenta (Alice Krige), Jakob becomes attracted to Lisa and she to him. As the magnetism between the two of them intensifies, Lisa's health declines more and more, leading Johannes to question Jakob's influence on her. The screenplay was adapted from the novel Jakob von Gunten by Robert Walser. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Cesar Sarachu - Inigo; Jonathan Stone - Hebling; Peter Lovstrom - Jörgenson; Uri Roodner - Schilinski; Peter Whifield - Null
Credit
Alison Riva - Art Director, Irene Lamb - Casting, Karl Baumgartner - Co-producer, Kazue Tomiyama - Co-producer, Nicky Gillibrand - Costume Designer, Diane Taylor - Continuity, Mary Soan - First Assistant Director, Stephen Quay - Director, Timothy Quay - Director, Larry Sider - Editor, Lech Jankowski - Composer (Music Score), Peter Glossop - Musical Direction/Supervision, Caroline Clements-Jewery - Makeup, Suzie Zamit - Makeup, Jennifer Kernke - Production Designer, Nick Knowland - Cinematographer, Gina Carter - Production Manager, Keith Griffiths - Producer, Janine Marmot - Producer, First Effects - Special Effects, Snow Business Effects Associates - Special Effects, Larry Sider - Sound/Sound Designer, Stephen Quay - Screenwriter, Timothy Quay - Screenwriter, Alan Passes - Screenwriter, Ula Gembiak - Musical Performer, Katarzyna Klebba - Musical Performer, Pavel Paluch - Musical Performer, Andrzej Brych - Musical Performer, Pavel Czekala - Musical Performer, Arnold Dabrowski - Musical Performer, Elzbieta Gorska - Musical Performer, Jerzy Grabowski - Musical Performer, Lech Jankwoski - Musical Performer, Andrzej Karpinski - Musical Performer, Jarogniew Mikolajczak - Musical Performer, Iza Rybacka - Musical Performer, Henryk Rzeznik - Musical Performer, Stefan Sliwa - Musical Performer, Hilary Benson - Production Coordinator, Paul Cutler - Properties Master, Colin Martin - Re-Recording Mixer, Finn McGrath - Second Assistant Director, Lutz Becker - Translator, Eva Bernhard - Translator, Jens Carl Ehlers - Translator, Malcolm Green - Translator, Christia Merkes - Translator, Ingrid Mylo - Translator, Andreas Ruethi - Translator, Stella Von Bock - Translator, Angleika Worseg - Translator, Joanna Tyler - Art Department Assistant, Tom Burton - Assistant Art Director, Zeb Ibrahim - Costumes Assistant, Emily Lincoln - First Assistant Editor, Matt Skilton - Foley Artist, Roger Dobson - Foley Editor, Andy Hennigan - Production Accountant, Cathy Cahlin Ryan - Scenic Artist, Sonny Birdis - Driver, Ennio Di Santolo - Driver, Jez Murrell - Third Assistant Director, Jason Hocking - Producer's Assistant, Robert Walser - Short Story Author
