Canadian Premiere
Tereza Nvotová follows up her critically acclaimed feature debut, Filthy, with this lush, atmospheric genre piece that masterfully mines regional superstitions and witch lore as she continues to interrogate female trauma and toxic patriarchal structures at the heart of destructive social dynamics.
The film centers on Šarlota, a young woman that shows up in a remote Slovakian mountain village looking for answers about her tragic family past. But her sudden presence is met with suspicion and mistrust from the small community. This draws out Mira, a local loner who takes an interest in the mysterious newcomer and decides to take her under her wing. As the two women bond and start challenging the wider status quo, their fearless and independent ways ruffle some feathers, and it’s not long before the pitchforks are out for them.
A heady mix of arresting visuals, genre thrills, rich character dynamics, and sharp social commentary, Nightsiren occupies that coveted space of mainstream appeal and intimate, character-driven storytelling that casts a potent cinematic spell.
Pardo d’oro for Best Film, Locarno 2022
Presented by
Natália Germáni, Eva Mores, Juliána Brutovská, Iva Bittová, Jana Oľhová, Marek Geišberg
Slovakia/Czech Republic
2022
In Slovak with English subtitles
Gender or Sexual Discrimination
At VIFF Centre — Vancity Theatre
At The Rio
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes
A beautiful portrait of E.J. Hughes, who quietly helped reshape the artistic landscape of British Columbia in the 20th century. This extraordinary documentary explores Hughes’s legacy not only as an artist, but as a devoted, humble human being.
Spring After Spring
Three daughters strive to live up to the standards set by their mother Marie Mimi Ho, and keep Vancouver Chinatown's Spring Parade going through thick and thin, in this enormously affectionate local documentary by Jon Chiang.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Mixing documentary and reenactment, this film powerfully evokes the desperate attempts of the Red Crescent to rescue a six year old child trapped in a car under Israeli military fire. Oscar nominee: Best International Film
Credits
Producer
Miloš Lochman
Screenwriter
Barbora Námerová, Tereza Nvotová
Cinematography
Federico Cesca
Editor
Pavel Hrdlička, Thibault Hague
Production Design
Tomáš Berka
Original Music
Pjoni, Rob
Director
Tereza Nvotová
Tereza Nvotová was born in Trnava, Czechoslovakia in 1988. Her debut film, Filthy (2017), premiered at International Film Festival Rotterdam and won many awards at festivals worldwide. Her HBO documentary, The Lust for Power (2017), was critically acclaimed and has caused heated debate about populism and corruption in politics. She is currently working on her third feature, Father, and the TV miniseries Convictions and The Nurse.
Filmography: Filthy (2017); The Lust for Power (2017)