Page - 145 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 05/01

into contact with technology and the contemporary world, which plunges its members into a vortex of feelings, fears and menaces. The film highlights the strength of the violent familial bonds with an almost immobile camera that im- pressively but disturbingly reproduces the father’s absurd attempt to keep time still (fig. 1). In the Estonian drama Tchelovek kotorij udivil vseh (The Man Who Sur- prised Everyone, Natasha Merkulova / Aleksey Chupov, RU/EE/FR 2018) the family becomes the stage for a violent transformation of the protagonist, a courageous state forest guard. A loving father, cheerful partner and caring son, Egor discovers he has a terminal cancer. The fight against illness and death is represented in parallel with his gender transition. More than his illness, his tran- sition exposes the protagonist to the crude violence of a whole social network. The film combines careful social analysis with surreal moments of a healing ritu- al. The body is exposed to all kinds of violent and destructive external and inner forces. Two further films investigate the relationship between domestic and social violence, although they have less in common on the narrative and stylistic lev- el. Frères Ennemies (Close Enemies, David Oelhoffen, FR/BE 2018) follows the development of two men who as children, growing up in a suburban neighbour- hood, had been as close as brothers. As adults, one works as a police officer and Fig. 1: Film Still Ozen (The River, Emir Baigazin, KZ/PL/NO 2018), https://www.labiennale.org/it/ cinema/2018/selezione-ufficiale/orizzonti/ozen-il-fiume [accessed 30.12.2018]. Festival Review: Film Festival Venice | 145www.jrfm.eu 2019, 5/1