The Arrival of Joachim Stiller

"Stiller starts where knowing stops."

1976 2h 33m NL

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 11

Mystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An Antwerp journalist finds his daily life increasingly disrupted by unexplained phenomena, such as an authentic letter from 1919 that refers to an event taking place at a much later date. Because these disturbances are consistently linked to the name “Joachim Stiller,” the journalist becomes obsessed with it. The resolution, which is closely tied to his traumatic experiences from the Second World War, takes place with a psychiatrist—and later at an abandoned railway station in an Antwerp suburb. Interwoven with this is a subplot about an Antwerp art dealer who believes he can become rich through a new form of painting. To achieve this, he takes a mentally disabled artist hostage. The narrative also follows various romantic entanglements involving the journalist, which ultimately lead to his happy experience of fatherhood.

“Stiller starts where knowing stops.”

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Cast

Hugo Metsers
Freek Groenevelt
Cox Habbema
Simone Marijnissen
Willeke van Ammelrooy
Lily
Ward De Ravet
Wiebrand Zijlstra
Charles Janssens
Siegfried
Dora van der Groen
Madame Frans
Raf Reymen
Direkteur lijkenhuis
Joan Remmelts
Andreas Colijn

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Harry Kümel
Writers: Jan Blokker, Jean Ferry, Harry Kümel
Languages: Dutch
Countries: Belgium, Netherlands

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

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 153 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

50 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Belgium, Netherlands.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Harry Kümel, shot by Eduard van der Enden. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Firmin van Hoeck shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Hugo Metsers and Cox Habbema and Willeke van Ammelrooy carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Stiller starts where knowing stops.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Harry Kümel directs. Eduard van der Enden behind the camera. Pieter Verlinden scores. Firmin van Hoeck cuts. Produced in Belgium, Netherlands. Dialogue in Dutch.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 153 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
250 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3International production across 2 countries: Belgium, Netherlands.
4Directed by Harry Kümel, shot by Eduard van der Enden. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Pieter Verlinden. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Firmin van Hoeck shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Hugo Metsers and Cox Habbema and Willeke van Ammelrooy carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Stiller starts where knowing stops.".
9IMDB entry: tt0122571 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 11 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.