Since releasing it in November would have been too obvious, later this month the Estonian black-and-white fantasy horror you’ve been waiting for will arrive. November, which was the country’s entry for the 90th Academy Awards, comes from director Rainer Sarnet (The Idiot, Where Souls Go), and Oscilloscope Films have now released the first trailer.
Based on Andrus Kivirähk’s hit novel “Rehepapp,” the story follows a twisted love story in the dark, creature-filled landscape of 19th century Estonia. Winner of Best Cinematography at last year’s 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, the starkly gorgeous vision comes through in this beautiful preview and it looks like The Witch fans should keep it on their radar. Check it out below, along with the trailer.
In this tale of love and survival in 19th century Estonia, peasant girl Liina longs for village boy Hans, but Hans is inexplicably infatuated by the visiting German baroness that possesses all that he longs for. For Liina, winning Hans’ requited love proves incredibly complicated in this dark, harsh landscape where spirits, werewolves, plagues, and the devil himself converge, where thievery is rampant, and where souls are highly regarded, but come quite cheap.
With alluring black and white cinematography, director Rainer Sarnet vividly captures these motley lives as they toil to exist – but is existence worth anything if it lacks a soul?
November opens in New York City on February 23rd, and in Los Angeles on March 2nd before expanding.