What happens to the people we love after they die? It's a question that haunts us all. But what if the answer was more shocking, more visceral than you could ever imagine? Canadian director Raymond St-Jean's new film, 'Veins,' premiering at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), dares to explore unsettling possibilities surrounding death and grief. Prepare to be disturbed.
The film centers on Isabelle, who journeys with her girlfriend to the almost-deserted town of Saint-Étienne to visit her parents. Tragedy strikes when she learns her father passed away days ago and has already been buried. The synopsis describes it as a body horror thriller interwoven with social commentary. Isabelle, understandably, demands answers. Why wasn't she informed? Why wasn't she invited to the funeral? But her mother and uncle offer only vague, unsettling explanations. What are they hiding?
'Veins' boasts a talented cast including Romane Denis, Marie-Thérèse Fortin, Sylvain Marcel, Anana Rydval, and Richard Fréchette. Reason8 is handling sales, and the screenplay is penned by Martin Girard, who joined St-Jean at the premiere.
Following the screening, the inevitable question arose: Was St-Jean influenced by the legendary David Cronenberg, often hailed as the 'father of body horror'? "Cronenberg, being…Canadian, of course, means that we know his work, and you can’t avoid this question," St-Jean acknowledged. "But honestly, we didn’t think that much about Cronenberg."
He even admitted that, due to his age, he couldn't watch Cronenberg's films when they were first released. "In the beginning, I wasn’t allowed to see these films and was very curious. And I saw them later," the director explained. "So, I cannot say we were inspired by Cronenberg, but, of course, he is part of our cinematic history."
But here's where it gets controversial... St-Jean then confessed something surprising: "I’m not a big fan of body horror movies as a spectator, but it’s fun to do, and it served the purpose of the movie well. And visually, for the director, it is a dream to do these films." How can a director create something they don't personally enjoy consuming? It's a fascinating paradox.
He elaborated that body horror often evokes discomfort in viewers, himself included. "That’s the nature of the genre," St-Jean stated. "So when I say I’m not a big fan, it’s because I feel the same emotion. … But it’s very efficient, as you see. I think only in cinema can you create that feeling. I don’t know if literature can give you that feeling of realism. It’s very troubling, and I think that’s the function of it."
St-Jean also situated 'Veins' within the current landscape of body horror, mentioning films like 'Titane' and 'The Substance.' "Of course, we made the film in the context of Titane and The Substance. And there are many of these films now, and we try to create drama and create something that seems real. But it’s also a poetic movie."
And this is the part most people miss... Beyond the visceral scares, St-Jean emphasized the genre's potential for social commentary. "The body horror genre is well-suited to also explore social issues," he explained. "A lot of things that we talk about in the film are things that are [being discussed] in Quebec and Canada: all these questions of assisted dying, the shutdown of [whole] industries in [various] regions, and all the problems that this causes." Could 'Veins' be using body horror to explore real-world anxieties about societal decay and existential dread?
Finally, St-Jean proudly noted that 'Veins' marks a milestone: "So we’re breaking ground at home." It's the first body horror film ever shot in Quebec. Will 'Veins' open the door for more genre experimentation in Canadian cinema?
'Veins' promises to be a thought-provoking and unsettling cinematic experience. But does the director's personal aversion to body horror impact the film's effectiveness? Can a film truly explore social issues while simultaneously delivering on the genre's promise of visceral horror? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Do you think a director needs to be a fan of the genre they are working in to create something truly great?
