ANTW ERP CENTRAL (Antwerpen Centraal) PRESS-KIT Contact: Sophim ages - Jan Roekens T +32 2 2230479 - sophim
[email protected] www.antwerpcentral.be Antwerp Central - PRESS-KIT (English) ANTW ERP CENTRAL (Antwerpen Centraal) A documentary by Peter Krüger 93’ - HD - Colour - 16/9 - stereo & 5.1 SYNOPSIS ANTW ERP CENTRAL takes the viewer on a journey through the physical and m ental space of Antwerp’s railway cathedral, from its construction to the present day. The film covers three centuries of Belgian railway history: from the m om ent that the national railway com pany laid its first tracks to the developm ent of the high-speed rail link in the 21st century. Echoes of Belgium ’s colonial past and the location of the station in the centre of the bustling diam ond district and next to the city zoo add a surreal touch as contrasting pairs, such as anim al and hum an, nature and industry, baroque and m odernity, dilapidation and renovation are com plexly juxtaposed. Drawing inspiration from the book “Austerlitz” by W .G . Sebald, screenwriter/director Peter Krüger approaches Antwerp Central Railway Station as a m agical realistic location where present and past, history and daily life, fiction and reality are in constant flux. Running as a thread through the film are the dream s and rem iniscences of a traveler, played by Johan Leysen, who arrives at Antwerp Central and through whose eyes we observe the station. He draws our attention not only to the striking architecture and historical context of the building, but also to its hidden and m ysterious aspects.