A Vicious Undertow

A Vicious Undertow is a dazzling example of the work of Danish filmmaker Jesper Just. This film focuses on the mysterious relationship between a middle-aged woman (Benedikte Hansen), another younger woman (Laura Drasbæk) and a young man (Johannes Lilleøre, who features frequently in Just’s films). Shot in Copenhagen in the richly decorated setting of a former brothel, the film weaves love, memory and dream into a fable where image and sound combine to form a work of great beauty. “What I find interesting,” says Just, “is to use the language of cinema in an artistic context, and to challenge it.”