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World Fantastic Cinema

The Flying Liftboy

Ben SOMBOGAART

The Netherlands1998 110min color

Synopsis

For Christmas holidays, Abeltje gets a part time job at a department store as a liftboy. While on duty in an elevator where several customers on, Abeltje puts the forbidden button by mistake. and the elevator flies up to the air. So he and his girlfriend Laura, Mrs. Klaterhoen, and Tump has to have an unexpected aero trip by accident. After a while, they manage to land at a parking lot in New York and scattered about afterwards. Abeltje is captured by Mrs. Cockle who mistook him for her son, Johnny, previously kidnapped and kept in her mansion. With the help from Tump, Abeltje escapes from Mrs. Cockle's mansion and gets into the elevator again together with Laura, and Mrs. Klaterhoen. Their second aero trip leads them to Perugona in Southern America. They are imprisoned by guerrillas that conspire against the government on the occasion of sudden death of the president. However, Tump saves the guerrilla's leader, Gerolimo who swallowed Tump's mothball. In appreciationof the service, Tump becomes the president of Perugona and Abetjel happens to meet with Mrs. Cockle's kidnapped son, Johnny... A Dutch director, Ben Sombogaart who started his career with documentary production, has directed a number of children's movie for a long time. His another collaboration, The Flying Liftboy is a fantastic adventure film full of imaginations that we might once have in childhood. At its first run in Netherland, The Flying Liftboy scored a remarkable box-office record no less than Mulan nor Price Of Egypt and won the Public's choice award at Montreal International Children's Film Festival. (LEE Jong-Eun)

Diretor

Ben SOMBOGAART

Born in Armsterdam, in 1947. Graduate of the Netherlands Film and Television Academy 1973. Working as a freelance director, Sombogaart has made many documentary films both in Holland and abroad. He originated and directed several TV drama series and feature-films. He has also been involved in developing the childrens programming for VPRO TV and for Bos Bros Film - TV Productions/AVRO TV.