Automatische concepten

English summary

Frank is a gripping satire of the music industry, stardom, and social media. At the beginning of the film we meet wannabe Jon, who longs for an exciting life as a singer-songwriter even though he doesn’t have much talent. When he receives an unexpected offer to join an experimental band with the unpronounceable name ‘The Soronprfbs’, he grabs the opportunity.

The leader of the eccentric band is the enigmatic and mysterious Frank, who permanently wears a gigantic head made of paper-maché, and is seen as a brilliant musical genius. The band members isolate themselves in the countryside for a year to record a new album. Jon goes out of his way to be accepted while secretly leaking information through social media channels. But inspiration evades them. As the months pass tensions increase. Especially between Jon and musician Clara, who cannot stand the sight of each other. Their confrontations are hilarious.

The film can be roughly divided into two parts. In the first full-on funny part we get acquainted with the band and its curious rituals. In the second part, however, things turn much more serious. Beneath his mask, Frank is actually quite melancholic; he alerts us to the need for for compassion for the innocent dreamers involved the harsh world of the music industry.