Willeke van Ammelrooy is Antonia. When her decrepit grandmother dies cursing her as a man, she inherits most of the village. She turns it into a commune, full of hard work, a good communal table and lots of joyous sex. As she presides over this matriarchy, we are treated to the stories of her neighbors and descendants; Mil Seghers, the schoolteacher who descends into Schopenaurian depression; he daughter, the artist; her grand-daughter, a child prodigy; Flip Filz and his paramour, who have thirteen children; and so forth. There are problems -- mostly caused by outsiders.
Despite these problems, people are kind and generous and happy. Whether this is supposed to make us think that women make better leaders, or whether easy-going rationalists do, is unclear. There are lots of children, and Willy Stassen's images are calm and beautiful.
Despite these problems, people are kind and generous and happy. Whether this is supposed to make us think that women make better leaders, or whether easy-going rationalists do, is unclear. There are lots of children, and Willy Stassen's images are calm and beautiful.