Darkness by Day

Martín Desalvo (Kept and Dreamless, Tiger Awards Competition 2005) is finally back in Rotterdam with his latest – breathtaking and unsettling – work.
Virginia and her niece Anabel are staying in an old family home surrounded by beaches, woods and rocks. But the initial sunshine doesn’t last: right from the opening scene, we know something strange is going on. There is an outbreak of rabies in the area, but the ominous atmosphere points to even greater dangers. Anabel only sleeps during the day, wandering through the dark trees at night. As Virginia’s (prescient?) dreams grow increasingly horrific, their dads – tough guys in lumberjack shirts used to being able to tackle any threat – stand by helplessly as darkness looms ever closer.
This dreamlike, stylised Argentinean horror film combines recognisable elements with alienating twists. Desalvo cleverly plays with the genre, and with viewers’ expectations.

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