Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala 
The Devil's Bath
Des Teufels Bad
AT, DE
2024, 121’, de
Age 16+

 

Upper Austria, mid-18th century. A remote, traditional village is isolated from the outside world by vast, lush forests. Atop a hill, the body of a woman is found – she has been executed for the death of her newborn as a warning to the locals.  The devout Agnes perceives this as a sign of divine will and shares compassion. Agnes is going through the biggest event of her life – her marriage to Wolf, but her new status triggers a sense of melancholy. In an emotionally detached world – all God, nature, and labour – she is increasingly overcome by a sense of doom and entrapment. As her melancholy grows, Agnes liberates her thoughts from herself…

Treading the same slow folk horror path as the historical drama The Witch (2015) by Eggers, the highly acclaimed piece by Franz and Fiala tickles and unleashes the senses, and leads the viewers into an extraordinarily dark psychological shadow territory. Few directors dare to take the audience this far – this is a direct nod to Austrian Ulrich Seidl, producer of this film and co-director's life partner, and his dosage of contemporary shock doctrine.Infernally texture-rich and sonically heavenly, the piece (with score composer Anja Plaschg of Soap&Skin herself in the leading role) was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Artistic Contribution for cinematography by Martin Gschlacht at the Berlinale. Referring to an 18th-century idiom that likens depression to being “in the Devil's bath”, this timeless, emotionally spiralling film opens up a little-known chapter of European history – it is based on legal proceedings involving two Austrian women.