By MICHAEL GINGOLD
An ancient vampire legend is reimagined for the modern day.
THE BLOOD COUNTESS, a new take on the historical Elizabeth (Erzsébet) Báthory, is world-premiering at the Berlinale on Monday, February 16. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger from a script she wrote with the participation of Elfriede Jelinek, it stars Isabelle Huppert in the title role along with Birgit Minichmayr, Thomas Schubert, Lars Eidinger and André Jung. The synopsis: “Decades after her mysterious disappearance, the Blood Countess reemerges in modern-day Vienna, where she reunites with her devoted underling, Hermione [Minichmayr], to track down a dangerous book with the power to destroy all evil—including all vampires such as themselves. The duo embarks on a scavenger hunt through the city’s magnificent historic sites and conscript the countess’ melancholic nephew—a vegetarian vampire named Bubi [Schubert]—and his psychotherapist as they expand their search to Bohemia. Meanwhile, a pair of vampirologists and a police inspector remain hot on their trail. Morbidly funny and dazzlingly decadent, THE BLOOD COUNTESS is a reinvention of the vampire myth from one of world cinema’s most prodigious minds.”
