Released:
1995-08-01

Overview:
Jakob arrives at the Institute Benjamenta (run by brother and sister Johannes and Lisa Benjamenta) to learn to become a servant. With seven other men, he studies under Lisa: absurd lessons of movement, drawing circles, and servility. He asks for a better room. No other students arrive and none leave for employment. Johannes is unhappy, imperious, and detached from the school's operation. Lisa is beautiful, at first tightly controlled, then on the verge of breakdown. There's a whiff of incest. Jakob is drawn to Lisa, and perhaps she to him. As winter sets in, she becomes catatonic. Things get worse; Johannes notes that all this has happened since Jakob came. Is there any cause and effect?

Directors:
Stephen Quay, Timothy Quay

Runtime:
1h 45min

Genre:
Drama

• Cast:
• 
  Alice Krige
  as
  Lisa Benjamenta
• 
  Mark Rylance
  as
  Jakob
• 
  Gottfried John
  as
  Herr Benjamenta
• 
  Daniel Smith
  as
  Kraus
• 
  Joseph Alessi
  as
  Pepino