The scientific and lay world have been fascinated with near death experiences for hundreds of years. In the same way we humans are overly preoccupied with our own mortality, our curiosity around the concept of an afterlife often gets the better of us. The desperation to believe that there’s something more than this mortal realm is strong. Pascal Laugier brought this obsession to the big screen in the terrifying Martyrs. Post Mortem approaches it from a different angle.
Towards the end of the First World War, a German soldier (Viktor Klem) is injured on the battlefield after an explosion. Presumed dead, in his semi-couscous state he has a vision, before eventually being rescued from a mass grave. Six months later, inspired by his own experiences Tomás is now a photographer, with an unusual subject matter. Taking pictures of the living with the dead, providing a rather garish memento as Spanish Flu decimates families. When he meets a familiar-looking young girl, Anna (Fruzsina Hais), he gets more than he bargained for.
Playing on Eastern European folk legends and having all the hallmarks of a good old-fashioned ghost story, Post Modern immerses the viewer in its chilling period atmosphere. This is what makes Péter Bergendy’s slowly oozing horror so successful. Creating an almost fantastical historical world of faith and superstition. One where spectres lurk around every corner. Post Mortem will surely give you the creeps and leave you peering into the shadows.
Post Mortem screens at Grimmfest Easter.
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