The 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) is set to showcase the world premiere of Against Nature the feature directorial debut of Mexican filmmaker Axel Bertha. This enigmatic film, part of the Proxima competition program, will grace the screens on Thursday, July 9 offering audiences a unique cinematic experience that straddles the boundary between the tangible and the ethereal.
The film’s protagonist, Jonás is a stonemason returning to the countryside after many years away. His mysterious nature and the film’s atmospheric storytelling promise an exploration of human cruelty as part of a perpetual cycle of destruction. The KVIFF website describes Jonás as a man who “opens himself up to something intangible – a force that permeates the landscape, bodies, and time itself.”
The Cinematic Experience of Against Nature
Against Nature eschews traditional storytelling in favor of a focus on sound design and a hypnotic visual style. The film aims to deliver “an absorbing cinematic experience that explores human cruelty as part of a cycle of destruction from which humanity has yet to find a way out,” as noted by the KVIFF website. The narrative hints at a looming catastrophe, with Jonás enacting a drama that seems to emerge from nature itself.
The film’s production is a collaborative effort involving Mexico-based production companies Domme and Cárcava Cine along with U.S.-based Love Song. Co-produced by The Lift and Carlos Reygadas the movie features editing by Óscar Enríquez cinematography by Flavia Martínez and Edson Reyes and music by Ela Minus and Ariel Guzik. The sound design is handled by Andrés Silva.
Bertha’s Inspiration and Filmmaking Process
Axel Bertha drew inspiration from a police report of a murder he found in a local newspaper in Mexico. The film delves into themes of human progress and its relationship with nature. Bertha questions whether human progress is distancing us from nature or bringing us closer to it. Jonás, the protagonist, navigates a world he feels he cannot access, haunted by a past that keeps resurfacing and an inability to express his feelings.
The filmmaker immersed himself in the landscapes and daily rhythms of the filming location for six months before production began. Shooting on 35 millimeter film with a limited supply, the crew faced challenging weather conditions and worked with local non-actors. Bertha’s goal was to create a film that questions our understanding of the world and helps us regain our connection with reality, each other, and our inner selves.
The Haunting Trailer of Against Nature
THR has exclusively premiered the trailer for Against Nature which teases themes of hatred for the world, alienation, evil, and “that black sphere.” The trailer emphasizes the film’s unsettling atmosphere and its appeal to the senses. Viewers are advised to watch the haunting trailer with care.
The 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival promises to be a platform for groundbreaking cinema, with Against Nature being one of its standout features. As audiences prepare to immerse themselves in Bertha’s enigmatic world, the festival continues to celebrate the art of filmmaking and the stories that challenge and captivate us.
