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Movie poster: The Absentee (1913)
🎬 Movie

The Absentee

1913 · 36 min Drama
5.0 / 10 · TMDB

Dries, a farmer and a widower, lives with his mother-in-law Grietje and his son Peter. He falls in love with Minna, a widow, and marries her despite the opposition of his family and friends. In anger his son Peter leaves home to enlist, while Grietje takes up her residence in another cottage. Six years pass, during which Grietje becomes acquainted with Minna's daughter Dina. Peter falls ill in Sumatra, but after falling in love with Dina, through the medium of photographs, he recovers and is drafted home again to Holland. He meets Dina and the two find that they truly love.

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📋 Film Details

Original Title De afwezige
Year 1913
Country Netherlands
Genre Drama
Director Albert Capellani
Runtime 36 min.
Rating TMDB: 5.0/10 (1 votes)

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🎬 MovieFinder's Take

The film constructs its drama from the clash between tradition and personal desire, relying on family strife to propel its narrative. It explores themes of exile and reconciliation through the silent but potent language of early cinema, using photographs as crucial narrative devices.

What lingers after viewing is a poignant sense of longing and the quiet power of a love that bridges years and continents. The final reunion feels earned, a testament to the film's simple emotional honesty. — MovieFinder Editorial

Director: Albert Capellani

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In a quiet room, allowing the silent performances and intertitles to fully resonate.

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