Aaltra

2004 1h 32m FR

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 71

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In this pitch black comedy the rivalry between two neighbors escalates into an all out war. Through a maintenance error on a tractor they both end up, paralyzed, in a wheelchair. It seems they are doomed to stay together. They no longer focus their rage on each other but on the manufacturer of the tractor, in Helsinki. So get ready for a hilarious wheelchair road movie.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Benoît Delépine
Employee
Gustave Kervern
Farm Labourer
Michel de Gavre
Peasant
Isabelle Delépine
Employee's Spouse
Gérard Condejean
Chinois Man
Pierre Ghenassia
Boss
Pierre Carles
Doctor
Jan Bucquoy
Lover

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Benoît Delépine
Writers: Benoît Delépine, Gustave Kervern
Languages: Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German
Countries: France, Belgium

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 22 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 5 languages: Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, Belgium.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Benoît Delépine, shot by Hugues Poulain. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Didier Wampas. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Anne-Laure Guégan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern and Michel de Gavre carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Benoît Delépine directs. Hugues Poulain behind the camera. Didier Wampas scores. Anne-Laure Guégan cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France, Belgium. Dialogue in Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 22 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 5 languages: Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German.
3International production across 2 countries: France, Belgium.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Benoît Delépine, shot by Hugues Poulain. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Didier Wampas. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Anne-Laure Guégan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern and Michel de Gavre carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0405629 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 71 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
11Classified under 9 themes, including "tractor", "dark comedy", "belgium", "wheelchair user ".

The technical file

Cinematography: Hugues Poulain
Original score: Didier Wampas
Editing: Anne-Laure Guégan
Production design: Isabelle Girard
Costume design: Isabelle Girard
Runtime: 92 min · 1h 32m
Status: Released
Original language: FR
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Aaltra (2004)

Also by

Benoît Delépine

Community reviews

What people are saying

Jeff_342017-02-10
★ 10/10
Epic film. Dark, crazy, real, real-life. Hilarious. It helps to speak French since it's hard to find a version with good subtitles. That bar scene is too funny but hard to follow if you don't ask your friendly neighbourhood frog what's going on. It's best to go into it knowing absolutely nothing and staying until the very end. What a ride, it's really worth it. ;)

Production companies