Pauline Rénevier

A story about a man named Max Wind, who celebrates a men‘s evening with his friends under the deck of a ship and leaves his pregnant girlfriend Nele at home. A storm is rising and the atmosphere below deck is tense. As Nele goes into shock from a lightning bolt hitting her house the situations start to escalate.

"As for the look, I was inspired by certain European b-movies from the 1970s and their soft and hazy yet at the same time creepy (and oftentimes deadly) sensuality, such as the Czech New Wave film VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS, the German arthouse vampire film JONATHAN and of course Jean Rollin’s many tales of vampire girls!" - Gloria de Oliveira.

Valentin, a destitute vagabond, seeks his fortune in the rat-infested city. It just so happens that Master Argus, the great wizard of the land and advisor to the queen, is in need of an apprentice. Valentin is sure that magic is just the thing for him. Although his amazing talent is revealed during the test, he is tricked by Katrina, the only competitor, and doesn't get the job. Instead, he finds shelter in the pharmacy of old master Zacharias. However, due to a terrible accident of his own making, he no longer works magic and for the time being only teaches Valentin the secrets of herbalism and medicine. Deeply dissatisfied with this, Valentin sets about learning the art of magic on his own. Beginning with the plague of rats that has appeared and disappeared overnight, he discovers a series of secrets that are all miraculously interlinked.