Antonia's Line

A vibrant saga, from the firebrand writer/director of A Question of Silence, combining feminist rigour with an involving dynastic narrative. At 85, Antonia has reached her last day on earth, a moment to reflect on the last five decades since returning to her native village in Holland after WWII - years which have seen her raise daughter Danielle, make a life on the farm for herself and a small community of society's flotsam and jetsam, and part from the world a richly experienced grandmother. Judicious character development whisks us through the generations, but with ample compassion for the women's struggle against the farming patriarchy, and a voice for the innocent victims of male sexual abuse, no one in the sizeable ensemble cast ever seems left out. There are some solid performances and a leavening of absurd humour, but it's all a touch airless.