N - The Madness of Reason

N – The Madness of Reason is a Belgian creative feature documentary, which was screened at several film festivals in 2014 and was slated for general release on February 8, 2014.^[1] The film was written and directed by Peter Krüger.

Set in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and France, the film is a spiritual journey through the memories and regrets of Raymond Borremans, a freewheeling Parisian musician turned encyclopedia enthusiast for whom Africa was his destiny - its heat his home. Borremans moved to Africa to escape Europe, soon becoming fascinated by the continent's rituals and culture before embarking on the Encyclopédie Borremans; a comprehensive study of the history and customs of Western Africa. Sadly, Borremans was never able to complete his encyclopedia, only getting as far as the letter 'N' before his death in 1988 at the grand old age of 108. In the film the restless spirit of Raymond Borremans drifts around West Africa, caught between life and death, the past and the present. An African woman who helps restless spirits find peace tries to lead him towards his destiny, but his encyclopaedic mind finds the contingencies of reality less easy to cope with.^[2][3]

The film's cast includes Michael Lonsdale (narrator), Abiba Sawadogo, Hamadoun Kassogue, and Vieux Farka Touré. The film received three nominations at the 2015 Ensor Award of the Ostend Film Festival, winning Ensor Award for Best Film (for the director Peter Krüger), Ensor Award for Best Editing (for the editor Nico Leunen), and Ensor Award for Best Music (for the composer Walter Hus).^[4][5] At the 2014 Cine Migrante International Film Festival, Brasilia the film won the 2014 Jury Award for Best Film.

References

External links

• N - The Madness of Reason at the Internet Movie Database
• Official Trailer (YouTube) - Duration: 3 minutes, 21 seconds
• Official Trailer (Vimeo) - Duration: 2 minutes, 30 seconds
• Official Official Website Inti Films (producer)