''Aaltra'' is a 2004

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

French-language deadpan

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discu ...

film directed and written by

Gustave de Kervern Gustave Kervern (born 27 August 1962), also known as Gustave de Kervern and Gustave K/Vern, is a French actor, director and screenwriter. He is best known for his collaboration with Benoît Delépine. Life and career In 2004 he wrote, directed, ...

and Benoît Delépine. The film won four awards and was nominated for three others.

Plot

Benoit Delepine plays a harassed businessman who, frazzled by commuting to his office, is working from home against company rules. While arguing with a jobbing farmworker ( Gustave Kervern), whose tractor is spraying herbicide into his garden he is summoned to the office by his angry bosses. However, his car becomes stuck behind the tractor. The farmworker will not let him pass, resulting in the businessman missing the train and losing his job. Frustrated, he seeks out the farmworker and assaults him. The two wake up in hospital, having been crushed by a malfunctioning farm machine as they struggled. They are now confined to wheelchairs and both set out for Finland to seek out the eponymous farm machine manufacturer to demand compensation.

Cast

* Benoît Delépine as The Employee * Gustave Kervern as The Farm Worker * Michel de Gavre as Farmer *

Benoît Poelvoorde Benoît Poelvoorde (, ; born 22 September 1964) is a Belgian actor and comedian. Early life His mother was a grocer and his father a driver, who died when Poelvoorde was still a minor. He attended the Jesuit Boarding School of Godinne before ...

as Motocross Spectator * Bouli Lanners as The Finnish singer * Gérard Condejean as The Chinese * Isabelle Delépine as Wife

Accolades

Won

London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival founded in 1957 and held in the United Kingdom, running for two weeks in October with co-operation from the British Film Institute. It screens more than 300 films, documentaries and sho ...

2004 **FIPRESCI Prize - Benoît Delépine and Gustave de Kervern *

Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (), or BiFan, is an international film festival held annually in July in Bucheon, South Korea. Prior to 2015, it was known as the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival or PiFan. Inaugurate ...

2004 **Best Actor - Benoît Delépine and Gustave de Kervern *

Transilvania International Film Festival The Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF; ro, Festivalul internațional de film Transilvania) is the first international feature film festival in Romania, which is held annually in the historic capital of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca. Found ...

2004 **Audience Award - Benoît Delépine and Gustave de Kervern * Joseph Plateau Awards 2005 **Best Belgian Actor -

Nominations

* Copenhagen International Film Festival 2004 **Golden Swan Award - Benoît Delépine *

Rotterdam International Film Festival The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is an annual film festival held at the end of January in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Since its foundation in 1972, it has maintained a focus on independent and experimental fi ...

2004 **Tiger Award - Benoît Delépine and Gustave de Kervern * Joseph Plateau Awards 2005 **Best Belgian Film

References

External links

* 2004 films 2000s French-language films Belgian black comedy films French black comedy films Films about paraplegics or quadriplegics Films directed by Benoît Delépine Films directed by Gustave Kervern French comedy road movies 2000s road movies 2004 black comedy films 2004 comedy films Belgian road movies 2000s French films Films about disability {{2000s-comedy-film-stub