The Eighth Day (1996 film)
| Le huitième jour | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jaco Van Dormael |
| Written by | Jaco Van Dormael |
| Produced by | Philippe Godeau Dominique Josset Eric Rommeluere |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Walther van den Ende |
| Edited by | Susana Rossberg |
| Music by | Pierre Van Dormael |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | PolyGram Film Distribution |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 118 minutes |
| Countries | Belgium France |
| Language | French |
| Box office | $37.1 million |
The Eighth Day (French: Le huitième jour) is a 1996 Franco-Belgian comedy-drama film that tells the story of the friendship that develops between two men who meet by chance. Harry (Daniel Auteuil), a divorced businessman who feels alienated from his children, meets Georges (Pascal Duquenne), an institutionalised man with Down syndrome, after Georges has escaped from his mental institution and is nearly run over by Harry. The film was selected as the Belgian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 69th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
The film was written and directed by Jaco Van Dormael. Some scenes in the film appear as dream sequences, often employing magical realism. The music of Luis Mariano ("Mexico," and "Maman, Tu Es La Plus Belle Du Monde") is used in these scenes, with actor Laszlo Harmati playing Mariano, who died in 1970. The original music score is from Pierre Van Dormael, Jaco's brother.