Transylvanie

Ten is a difficult age. Just on the cusp of puberty, one might be emotionally more mature than kids a few years older yet still be perceived and treated as a child. One might already have begun to experience adult desires, but have no way of exploring them, even in play, because one cannot compete for the attention of kids whose bodies have begun to change against others in that same situation. For Ewa (Katell Varvat) it’s particularly tough because of something which happened concerning her brother, who is no longer around. Other local kids refer to him as crazy.

In her room, which has an Interview With The Vampire poster on the wall, Ewa recites Dracula from memory and dons a black cape with a red lining. It seems to be Renfield with whom she identifies most strongly, yet, confronted with the eternity which she believes lies ahead of her, she imagines herself as a master with others as her servants and perhaps love interests. In particular, she is attracted to local teenager Hugo (Lucien Le Ho), but it’s not easy to get close to him when his girlfriend is one of those predisposed to bullying her on sight.

Varvat’s performance is intense and sincere. “I was turned into a vampire in September,” she explains to Hugo, going on to explain what the process involves. He thinks she’s a sweet kid and seems to enjoy her creativity, a break from life’s routine. His girlfriend doesn’t trust her. Her hostility implies a recognition of power there – power to seduce or to harm others – perhaps because, for her all her physical vulnerability, the younger girl has a confidence which seems impossible to break. Her imagination has freed her from the constraints which bind the others.

The concrete fortress of a French housing estate may not fully satisfy the dark romantic fantasies of a lonely kid with an appetite for more than literature, but eternal life is what you make it, even in its early stages. Ewa is animated by a purpose. For good or ill, she may indeed have the power to bring about a lasting change in the object of her desire.

Transylvanie screened as part of the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival.