Dir.: Alex van Warmerdam; Script: Alex van Warmerdam; Phot.: Marc Felperlaan; Ed.: Rene Wiegmans; Mus.: Henri Garcin, Ariane Schluter, Alex van Warmerdam, Ricky Koole, Rijk de Gooyer, Elisabeth Hoijtink, Olga Zuiderhoek, Eric van der Donk; Cast: Marc van Warmerdam, Ton Schippers, Alex van Warmerdam, Graniet, Anjeliersstraat 470, 1015 Amsterdam (Pays-Bas), tél.: (31-20) 421 02 820, fax: (31-20) 62 51 024; Prod. & Sales: Fortissimo Film Sales, Herenmarkt 10-2, 1013 Amsterdam (Pays-Bas), tél.: (31-20) 627 3215, fax: (31-20) 626 1155.

First there is the fabric: a motif of blue leaves selected by the director of a textile factory much to the dismay of his artistic adviser. Then there is the designer, a man with strange sexual proclivities. Finally there is the dress: it is on sale in a boutique. The first woman to wear it is Stella, an ordinary housewife who is a bit past her prime. The dress awakens unusual desires in Stella, desires that will prove fatal. The wind wafts the dress to Johanna, a young housemaid whose artist-lover, Herman, incorporates the fabric pattern into his latest work. As soon as Johanna dons the dress, she ignites the insatiable lust of a train conductor and a bus driver. Sick of the dress and the bad luck it seems to have brought, Johanna finally gives the dress away to a good cause. Next to inherit the frock is 16-year-old Chantal, who shortens it and puts it on when her parents are away for the weekend. Unfortunately she also runs into the train conductor. Same cause, same effect. Chantal stuffs the dress into her shoulder bag which is then stolen by Marie, a bag lady. Marie wears the dress under her clothes to protect her from the winter. But the effort is in vain; she freezes to death and is cremated in the dress. But the story doesn't end here. There's a museum, there's a painting and there's the train conductor...

"A serial narrative with a black humour reminiscent of Buñuel or Iosseliani... In ABEL and THE NORTHERNERS, the director employed extreme theatrical stylization. This time he moves to the Dutch landscape with no less charming results." -- Pieter van Lierop (International Film Guide 1997)