On the outskirts of a remote village in eastern Germany, where the fear of wolves in the surrounding forests prevents locals from straying too far from home, a maniacal sword-wielding figure in a woman’s dress lurks among the birch trees waiting to descend upon the unsuspecting villagers. Desperate to protect his hometown from the bloody onslaught, strait-laced policeman Jakob embarks on a reckless pursuit of the ominous stranger. But as their paths entwine, Jakob becomes increasingly powerless to resist the seductive force of the Samurai’s feral allure, and is forced to confront his own carnal impulses. At once shocking, bloodthirsty, and downright bizarre, director Till Kleinert’s rural thriller is smart arthouse horror at its very best, featuring a euphoric climax you won’t soon forget.
Screens with:
Happy B-DayHolger B. Frick | Germany | 8 min. | 2013