Hunting Daze

Sometimes, simply getting acknowledged as a human being requires a person to do extraordinary things.

Nina (Nahéma Ricci) is an exotic dancer who gets stranded in the middle of nowhere after standing up to a manager who thinks he can slap her around. When she realises how little traffic goes through there, and how hard it will be to hitch a ride, she’s forced to seek shelter in a hunting lodge where a group of men are preparing to enjoy a wild weekend. Reluctantly, they agree that she can stay if she passes their hazing ritual, and although the situation is fraught with danger, she has enough courage and self-possession to win their respect. A delicate equilibrium is established, and everyone has fun – but when the balance is unsettled by the arrival of a stranger and an unfortunate accident, Nina realises that her very survival could be at stake.

Although you might think you’ve seen this kind of thing before, it looks very different through the lens of a female director, and especially one as talented as Annick Blanc. Her intense close-ups force us right into the thick of the action, and keeping the camera at Nina’s height – at least a head shorter that most of the men – emphasises her vulnerability even in scenes which celebrate physicality, hers included. There is no sexual interaction. She knows how dangerous that would be, and so do at least some of the men, with their leader, Bernard, quickly intervening when one of them leans in to try and kiss her. She is to be treated as one of the pack – the wolf pack, as they style themselves. Real wolves, of course, live in matriarchal units. When Nina encounters a wolf (Maya) whilst alone in the woods, what happens is starkly at odds with the men’s understanding of nature.

Condensed and symbolic in its approach, sometimes to the point where it becomes surreal, Hunting Daze uses a small story to address big subjects. At its simplest it’s a study of toxic masculinity, but as such it’s unusually sympathetic to its male characters, recognising the ways in which they, too, are trapped within a belief system which restricts their freedom. Although they think of themselves as powerful – and Nina, too, enjoys a taste of that during the brief time in which she is free to be her whole self, not restricted to the social space assigned to women – when it comes to the crunch, they lack any real ability to take control. They are not the sort of men whom one would immediately think of as problematic, but they have a poisonous sense of entitlement.

The wider context of a misogynistic, racist society makes it easy for them to get things very, very wrong. Also intrinsic to the success of the film is Blanc’s understanding that sex workers – so often portrayed in cinema as victims – are frequently experts in controlling their own emotions and other people’s. It’s a survival skill. The sheer nerve with which Nina comports herself will impress viewers just as it impresses the men, and it makes her a formidable heroine. Powering this is a courageous performance by Ricci, who demonstrates an intelligence and range which will turn the heads of casting directors everywhere.

A taut thriller that keeps on delivering right up to the final reel, Hunting Daze has been wowing audiences on the festival circuit, from SXSW to Fantasia. Spectacular enough to deserve a big screen but intense enough to work on a small one, it’s superbly crafted and, one hopes, the first of many from a director with a bold, fresh voice.