Mira (1971)

The tranquillity of the small village Waterhoek is disturbed when the government plans to build a bridge over the river. To stop the bridge from being built, the inhabitants take matters into their own hands. This leads to the death of the geometer and one of his assistants. When Lander is taken in by the police, Mira, his niece and mistress, watches him without showing any emotions. Later she meets the engineer in charge of the construction of the bridge, Maurice Rondeau. Meanwhile the villagers have changed their attitude towards the bridge. Only Broeke still doesn’t support the idea and tries to sabotage the construction, by breaking up the dam. Mira and Maurice fall in love, marry and inaugurate the bridge. But the impulsive Mira isn’t willing to bear any limitations and leaves Maurice and the Waterhoek, in search for a new life.

Avelgem, West Flanders, 1905. A bridge was being built over river Scheldt, something that the inhabitants of the so-called Waterhoek dreaded, for it meant the end of their own particular way of life. Twenty years after the event, Flemish writer Stijn Streuvels wrote a novel based on this story in which a land surveyor and his assistant got murdered and an engineer fell in love with Mira, the local beauty. The story was adapted by Hugo Claus in 1971 for a friend of his, Dutch director Fons Rademakers. In the role of Mira, the then unknown Willeke Van Ammelrooy who would later become one of the biggest stars in Dutch and Flemish cinema in the 1970s. Among her lovers Jan Decleir in his first feature role and Luc Ponette as the engineer are eagerly chasing Mira who prefers independence and freedom to the comforting situation of the housewife. The film has been one of the most popular hits in the history of Flemish film industry.

My Blog - Check it ;)