I Saw the Face of the Devil
In the darkness of her bedroom, Majka is searching for answers on her computer, seeking help, her plea responded to by Father Rogala who invites her to talk her about what is troubling her, the eighteen-year-old convinced that she is not alone in her body, that the “weird thoughts” she has about “God and other girls” come from another source, the priest agreeing to attempt an exorcism.
A short film written and directed by Julia Kowalski and set in Kościerzyna in northern Poland, a country notorious for homophobic intolerance second only to Russia, I Saw the Face of the Devil (Zobaczyłam twarz diabła) feels like an unfinished premise rather than a completed work, taking place in a community where strict Catholicism is the guiding force and any deviation is not tolerated.
Majka (Maria Wróbel) conscious that the other villagers stare at her, is it because there is something obviously wrong about her or is she just different? Regardless, the more she keeps herself apart, the more they stare, and Father Marek Rogala (Wojciech Skibinski) offers no guidance, no comfort, no acceptance, simply asks her to fill in a questionnaire then meet him at a remote church.
The soundtrack composed of melodic dark metal as the camera prowls the darkened forest, there is perhaps a more interesting story behind I Saw the Face of the Devil but focused on the ritual and ceremony of the church with only a single moment of Majka finding belonging and happiness as she dances with a friend before an abrupt conclusion, the intention is lost, the outcome uncertain, the meaning unclear.
I Saw the Face of the Devil is available on Shudder now
