Sennentuntschi: Curse of the Alps
sennentuntschi.jpg
In a small village in the Swiss Alps a young priest is found hanged in a church tower, at his burial a young mute woman, covered in dirt and rags appears and is taken into the care of a local policeman who tries to protect her and find out who she is.
ab56aafac27345b7ee430c17f843a49d7f6ba989_hq.jpg
The villagers come to suspect she is a Sennentuntschi, a manifestation of a local legend about three herdsmen who were lonely and made a doll from straw, wood and cloth. In the tale the doll came to life in the shape of a female servant and lover, but is actually the devil in disguise.
This story is replayed within the film by a local herdsman, a young boy who lives with him and a city slicker who is helping them out, these people reside in cabins in the mountains, self sufficient and isolated until they perform the summoning whilst drunk on absinthe and a young woman appears (who looks very similar to the one the policeman found.)
767full-sennentuntschi-screenshot.jpg
This is an interesting, atmospheric and well made film which kept me guessing until the end, these are many strands that run throughout the film, the policeman and the woman, the herdsmen story and the mystery of the priests death.
These elements intertwine so the watcher is unsure as to the timeline or wether the girls are even the same person, also we are uncertain to her innocence or guilt.
Due to her being mute and the isolation of the mountains, the herdsmen ultimately take advantage of her and although these scenes are unpleasant they are not drawn out or unnecessarily leering, our sympathy lies solely with the victim.
Yet even while doing this the film gives the men involved back stories and lives so they do not come across as one dimensional beings.
I found this riveting and wanted to find out how the story concluded, it's not an out and out horror film although it has many elements of one, but it is also a mystery and is very well acted by everyone on screen. (Especially the woman, who conveys a lot of emotion without a word.)
But those just looking for gore and titillation would be disappointed.
Sennentuntschi_2.jpg
It's a film that is not available on U.K disc and is not very well known, but it is on Netflix at the moment, so catch it while you can if it appeals to you.
I really liked it, so a recommendation from me.
8/10
