Ghostland // 36th BIFFF

After the death of her aunt, Colleen and her two daughters Beth and Vera inherit a house in the heart of the American countryside. From the outside, it could easily be the location for the 14th remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And the interior’s a feast for rednecks. But the family will have little time to do some interior decorating. On their very first night, they’re invaded by a gang of bloodthirsty barbarians who’ve invited themselves to an improvised housewarming. The assault is extremely violent, with furniture shattering all over the place and blows and punches coming from everywhere. Colleen’s maternal instinct transforms her into a tigress and she manages to save her offspring from the invaders. Sixteen years later, they are still marked by that horrific night. Beth has become a successful fantasy author, while Colleen still lives in the same house with Vera. And if the latter refuses to leave the nest, it’s because she suffers from a destructive paranoia which makes her relive those traumatic events every night. As if nothing has ever ended.

Ten years ago French director Pascal Laugier unleashed Martyrs upon the world, a modern genre classic whose unrelenting violence still leaves many reeling today. This year we open the festival with his latest terror feast. Ghostland is a visual and narrative tour de force, a true rollercoaster of jump scares. And what’s remarkable is that he managed to convince famous French singer Mylène Farmer to play a part that totally goes against her image. She’ll release her deepest demons in this nerve shattering horror pic.