Clips of the Mère Folle film shoot in The Netherlands
The Man with Pierre and Pippa
The Man, a former patient of Françoise’s who refuses to carry a proper name, demonstrates his ability to interact with and instruct children. He reads a poem to Pierre and Pippa and explains the meaning of tautology.
The Man: Richard Wank
Pierre: August Voskuil
Pippa: Lena Verhoeff
Françoise's Dream of Ariste
With a hint to Don Quixote and Sancho Pança, the slapstick comedians act out their sibling rivalry in a tank.
Fou 1: Matthieu Montanier
Fou 2: Louis de Villers
Ariste
Ariste, the patient who dies at the beginning of the film, haunts Françoise’s dreams.
Ariste: Fleur Sulmont
Big Fool: Richard Wank
Young Fool
He fights with his father, contradicts Françoise, and thinks he knows best. Although he is also a psychiatric patient, he stands up for the profession of Fool, and worries about Mère Folle.
Young Fool: Pitt de Grooth
Nurses
When a crisis breaks out in the courtyard of the hospital, one nurse uses her authority as Head Nurse to shoo out the Fools, the other her music to calm down the patients. Together, they manage it, but barely.
Head Nurse: Olga Zuiderhoek
Musical Nurse: Leticia Bal
Musical Fools
As Mère Folle and her Fools wander through the courtyard, these two young fools play a tune that suddenly seems to quote the Marseillaise.
Musical Fools : Daan Binsbergen and Reinier Schouten
Music: Robert Schumann, “Die zwei Genadiere” opus 49,
n° 1 - 1840
Melusine
Melusine is leaving the institution just as Françoise arrives. She talks about her poetry, her father, and her desire to never return.
Melusine: Paulina Aroch Fugellie
Viviane
Viviane suffers from autism and has no verbal outlet for her grief over Ariste’s death. Françoise tries to comfort her and is rewarded with a lullaby.
Viviane: Marlene Dumas
Léonore
The fifteen-year old Léonore suffers from trans-generational traumatic stress disorder, and cannot keep her moods down. She alternates from extremely childish to adult behavior and believes she inherited her disease from her grandmother.
Léonore: Kelly Ehrencron
Alice
Alice doesn’t understand why she is institutionalised. More than clever, she even has second sight.
Alice: Catherine Lord
Marcel
Fast-talking Marcel reflects on the unbearable world outside. He prefers the safety of the hospital.
Marcel: Roben Mitchell van den Dungen Bille
Aziz
Gloomy, Aziz welcomes Françoise back to the limbo of the institution that, he says, no one ever leaves.
Aziz: Ihab Saloul
Woman in Black
Embittered, the Woman in Black complains that psychiatry cannot understand her. She describes her version of hell where nightmare and reality merge.
Woman in Black: Noa Roei
Engeline
Chain-smoking Engeline turns her session into a game but doesn’t buy it when Françoise does the same.
Engeline: Ania Dalecki