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The life and strange surprising adventures of Robinson Crusoe who lived for twenty and eight years all alone on an inhabited island and said it was his (2023)

 

This film is not just an adaptation of Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe. Rather, it addresses the larger cultural myth that has grown from the premise of the book: a white man ‘civilising’ indigenous inhabitants of an island, and claiming the territory as his own property. In a time today when the call to decolonise the artworld and its associated institutions has never been more urgent, Deboosere's cinematic intervention resonates with a large body of work seeking to destabilise and replace the ideology of imperialism. The result is a singular, subversive film, satirical and surprisingly charming at the same time, which makes sure to pay just as much attention to animals and the natural world as to the follies of human-constructed ‘anthropocene’ history.

The film's best political weapon is irreverent laughter: the narrative swerves wherever it wishes, the music score serves up mock-military blasts or an a cappella choir, conversing goats offer a moment of reflection, and our connotations of cannibals change forever. Ultimately, nothing is spared here: religion, authority, law and order. Marrying captivating 16mm footage with an incisively satirical and dedicated vision, Het leven en de vreemde verrassende avonturen van Robinson Crusoe die acht en twintig jaar helemaal alleen op een bewoond eiland leefde en zei dat het van hem was skewers its target.

(Adrian Martin for IFFR)

Trailer

A film by

Benjamin Deboosere

 

Produced by

Untitled Production

 

Co-produced by

Hilife Cinematography

 

With

Oriana Ikomo

Bernice Leming

Blanche Pembe

 

Running Time: 75'

Language: Dutch - Dutch Sign Language - English

Subtitles: English

Year of Production: 2023

Countries of production: Belgium

Film location: Greece, Belgium

Sound: Dolby 5.1

Format: DCP 4:3 Color

 

Writers: E. Mohr & B. Deboosere

Director: Benjamin Deboosere

Producer BE: Sarah Deboosere

Co-producer BE : Hans Bruch Jr.

Cinematography : Hans Bruch Jr.

Editor : Benjamin Deboosere

Sound design : Gizem Karaosmanoglu

Costume designer :Daniela Zorrozua

Production designer : Elli Nalmpanti

Music composer : Koo & Oriana Ikomo

Sound mix : Aline Gavroy

Color correction : Laura Perera San Martin

Graphic design : Yannick Van Keer

 

Supported by

The Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF)