Cast from humanity yet tethered to it – to be shipwrecked is to exist in this ambivalent space. Filmmaker Deniz Eroglu uses three independent episodes to probe this concept; a nursing home on New Year’s Eve, a sun-drenched Congolese family home and the medieval German countryside.
Shipwrecked: to be relegated to the fringes of human existence; to freely function in a liminal state; to grapple with the fickle bonds of society, institutions, and individuals. In this exceptionally creative anthology film, Deniz Eroglu explores the concept of shipwreck through three stylistically and narratively individual episodes.
‘Mutiny’ follows the daily activities of an isolated nursing home on New Year’s Eve, where the apathetic fraternity of staff throw themselves a party while their wards are asleep – apart from one resident, who seeks connection in her own small way.
‘Boarding’ sees a greasy bureaucrat drop in on a Congolese refugee family, ostensibly to check on the children’s welfare. But with the droll humour of early Mike Leigh films and the uncanny dread akin to Michael Haneke, this visit moves to an unexpected conclusion.
‘Drifting’, is situated in the medieval European countryside, where the outcast of a roving group seeks meaning, purpose, and methods of survival in a callous wasteland and eerie forest.
Boasting an uncompromising vision and undeniable directorial confidence (and making captivating use of an array of film stocks and formats), Eroglu’s triad forms a fascinating treatise on the meaning of humanity, isolation, and the unconquerable spirit.
(Sophie Tupholme / IFFR)
Die Macht des Visums / The power of the visa
