Katalin Varga, directed by Peter Strickland.

Tonight, Liberty Theatre at 9.15 p.m. and Sunday at Southside Theatre, at 3.45 p.m.

Review by –Ruth O'Kelly-Lynch

The Romanian countryside is one of the stars of this film, which manages to make it look inviting and frightening.

'Katalin Varga' chronicles a young woman travelling across the country with her nine-year-old son after her husband kicks her out, calls her a "whore" and tells her to take her son. Little else is explained in the opening scenes.

The film, at times violent, has an almost dreamlike feel to it as the camera pans over hills and shows the family of two on a horse-drawn carriage. The carriage may give the impression of a period long over, but the modern-day ring tone of cell phone illustrates that the film is grounded in today's world, albeit one that may appear primitive to others.

And though it starts off slowly and a tad pretentiously, the viewer is drawn to its story as it gains momentum.

The focus of the film is revenge and as Katalin covers the miles she exacts it on those who have wronged her. It raises moral dilemmas as Katalin grows more direct in the way she tortures her previous attackers physiologically and physically. It can be a little depressing, but is interesting nonetheless.

At times particularly during an intense scene on a rowboat when she recounts the horror she has been through you start to question if she is completely sane.

The 82-minute film was written and directed by British filmmaker Peter Strickland, who lived in Hungary prior to production. It is the first film he has directed and was produced with a paltry budget of less than $50,000.

It has been nominated for awards at the British Independent Film Awards and won European Film Academy's European Discovery 2009.

It also won Silver Bear at Berlin for the acting ensemble.