Springen (Jumping) is an absurdist comedy set inside 'Sempa Vivax', an exclusive and highly unusual retirement home housed in a castle.The facility caters specifically to wealthy elderly residents, offering them the unique opportunity to fully realize their wildest, final fantasies and unfulfilled dreams. Under the guidance of the home's eccentric staff, the residents engage in bizarre and extravagant activities, which range from reenacting passionate past romances to staging a simulated atomic war for entertainment.The narrative unfolds through the various subplots of these residents as they navigate their surreal daily lives, attempting to escape the realities of old age and mortality through illusion and play. The story explores the chaotic dynamics between the elderly elite, their families, and the staff members who facilitate their increasingly elaborate delusions.
Acting
Herbert Flack's slippery charisma as the morally bankrupt showman.
Direction
De Decker's queasy balance of sitcom energy and creeping dread.
Director
Jean-Pierre De Decker
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Rare example of 1980s Belgian genre cinema attempting social satire; practically unknown outside Benelux despite its prescient themes of reality entertainment.
The title 'Jumping' refers to the memory-jumping technology, but critics noted it also evokes the desperate leap between comedy and horror tones that never quite sticks the landing.
NL
