Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life
1995 · 104 MIN · IMDB 7.0 · 2,110 VOTES · DIR. Timothy Quay, Stephen Quay
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?
Dialogue Timeline — 493 lines
A SAMPLE ACROSS THE RUNTIME — EVERY LINE IS SEARCHABLE
00:03:48 Still.
00:09:39 Eintausend, zweitausend, dreitausend, viertausend
00:11:44 Ja...ein kapitaler Zwölfender.
00:15:05 Fridolin. Fisoloebede.
00:17:35 The satisfaction of his master shall be the servant's heaven.
00:21:44 And now be quiet, Herr Jakob.
00:25:50 It can snow upon us so gently...
00:34:40 We grasp a thing and it is as if it possessed us.
00:39:41 I forgive you, Your Highness, for you know not what you do.
00:44:01 I am perhaps the only person who realises what we have in Kraus.
00:48:47 But don't be afraid.
00:50:30 ..I have a request.
00:55:30 ..terrible light.
00:57:57 ..don't need to make small talk.
01:04:03 lf only you could see it.
01:06:29 It's still waiting.
01:08:42 Saplings...pay attention...
01:12:06 Inigo!
01:20:12 Like this.
01:23:55 ..or something very...
01:25:29 It's you.
01:29:57 Jakob...
01:38:00 Once...
01:39:33 Follow me...