By RICHELLE CHARKOT
Starring Natalia Germani, Eva Mores and Juliana Ol’hová
Written and directed by Tereza Nvotová
Breaking Glass Pictures
Tereza Nvotová‘s spellbinding NIGHTSIREN opens with simple yet evocative text over black: “Even in modern Europe, in certain lonely villages, folklore and medieval superstition are still considered a way of life.” This crucial context sets the tone for the film’s world in which God-fearing villagers deem themselves justified despite their moral shortcomings, and any deviation is evil and something to be eradicated.
NIGHTSIREN follows Šarlota (Natalia Germani), who in childhood escaped her isolated home after a beating from her vicious mother. Though Šarlota manages to flee, a terrible tragedy occurs, which sets the course for the rest of her life. Decades later, she returns to the remote village, where she’s summoned by the mayor to deal with her dead mother’s belongings. Šarlota’s presence instantly ruffles the feathers of her neighbors, many of whom believe in the folkloric tales that have sprung up in the wake of the tragedy. People claim that a now-deceased woman named Otyla (Iva Bittová) was a witch responsible for what occurred and question if Šarlota may be there to follow in those footsteps. Though most people deliberately isolate Šarlota, the lonesome and mysterious Mira (Eva Mores) takes no issue, and the two quickly form a deep bond. Tensions rise when animals begin to get sick, causing locals to wonder if witchcraft is again plaguing their town.
The film unravels its central mystery in a deliberately perplexing way, leaving audiences wondering if they may have missed some information until everything is explained in the final act. Still, it makes for an intoxicating experience. Where NIGHTSIREN’s storytelling really shines is in its subtle yet incredibly effective interrogation of cultural customs. Although the townspeople take comfort in their traditions, they see any nature-based worship as fearsome – even though all of these rituals may as well be cut from the same cloth. This prompts the viewer to ask the critical question, “What’s the difference?” Nvotová’s film answers loud and clear: If women are happy doing something, patriarchy sees it as a problem. Despite these clear comparisons, the film doesn’t vilify the traditions but rather the justifications people make to harm other people. There are women in the village who are just as afraid of Šarlota and Mira as everyone else. However, NIGHTSIREN posits that they are wounded by the conventions they abide by, with the notable examples of a mother at the mercy of her abusive husband and a young woman who has to conceal her true sexuality.
Alongside its rich and compelling script, NIGHTSIREN is a visual feast that at times evokes something like Hieronymus Bosch’s “Garden of Earthly Delights” set in a rave in a forest (further pushing the theme of ancient mysticism in the contemporary world) and at others, presenting a vast and beautiful wooded countryside in which anyone would want to get naked and dance.
