Estonian director Oskar Rehemaa is ready to ‘birth’ the first English-language body horror film.
The film, announced at Frontières Co-Production Market, follows a couple who, after years of unsuccessfully trying to conceive, decide to attend a secluded fertility retreat deep in the woods as a last resort before IVF. But as the retreat’s ancient folk rituals take a sinister turn, Carl and Emma find themselves part of a sacrificial ritual.
“The setting for ‘Birth’ came about in a very natural way. It simply made sense to tell a story about pregnancy in an environment literally full of life, an Estonian forest,” Rehemaa told Variety.
“Lying on the Estonian forest floor in spring, you can practically feel the pulse of life in the ground and in each fresh leaf and branch. Nature also opens the door to folk horror. This subgenre is particularly suited to carefree stories about relationships, family, and ancestry.”
The film is produced by Stellar Films, a company run by Evelyn Pentilla and Johanna Maria Tam, with recent participation from the Talifornian Film Fund.
Lehemer, the creator of the Sundance-winning short “Bad Hair” and the stop-motion comedy “The Old Man Movie,” isn’t afraid of extreme imagery. “Birth” marks his first collaboration with Estonian cinematographer Ellen Lotman.
“I’m especially excited because I’ve never shot so extensively in nature before. Together, we’re looking for a balance between the tightly constructed frames that have characterized my work to date, and a more free-flowing camera style,” he said.
In “Birth,” they will also play male and female roles.
“I truly believe that pregnancy and childbirth are nature’s greatest miracles. At the same time, they are deeply grotesque and horrifying. ‘Birth’ explores both sides of that contradiction…one perhaps a little deeper than the other.”
She added: “Parenting is also shaped by deeply ingrained gender expectations, and I’m interested in poking at those assumptions and questioning the roles we take for granted.”
He uses Estonian folklore for inspiration, but the goal is to create a “mystical new cult that is unique to our story,” he said.
“Looking at this story from an outsider’s perspective deepens the mystery surrounding the mysterious Estonian cult at its center,” he says.
“I’m already looking forward to creating some insane scenes that will be etched in the audience’s minds forever.”
Evelyn Penttila said Stella Film is already “in active dialogue with producers in Scandinavia and Ireland” and the aim is to position Birth as a “high-profile European genre film with potential from major film festivals to global distribution.”
“With Oscar’s uncompromising artistic vision and our shared commitment to delivering elevated genre cinema, we are confident that this project will leave a lasting impression on audiences around the world.”
