Holy Week (2024) by Andrei Cohn: A Timeless Descent into Prejudice

Short Summary: Holy Week is a period drama set in a Romanian village around 1900, focusing on the escalating tensions between a Jewish innkeeper, Leiba, and his Christian employee, Gheorghe. What begins as simmering prejudice quickly spirals into a harrowing exploration of antisemitism, fear, and the fragile nature of community. The film masterfully delves into the psychological toll of bigotry, showcasing how underlying biases can erupt into devastating consequences during a time of heightened religious observance.

Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21050630/

Link Review: https://icsfilm.org/festivals/sarajevo/2024-sarajevo/sarajevo-2024-review-holy-week-andrei-cohn/

About movie: https://shellacfilms.com/film/semaine-sainte/

Link to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/fr/film/semaine-sainte (France)

Detailed Summary: A Village on the Brink

• A Fragile Peace: The film introduces Leiba and his family, who run the village inn, a central gathering place for both Jewish and Christian inhabitants. Initially, there's an appearance of peaceful coexistence, but subtle remarks and underlying resentments reveal a deeper current of prejudice.

• The Catalyst: The relationship between Leiba and his Christian employee, Gheorghe, becomes the focal point. Gheorghe's abrasive challenges to Leiba's authority and an eventual decision by Leiba to expel him ignite a chain of events.

• Rising Threat: Gheorghe's vengeful promise to return on Easter Night to "settle accounts" serves as a dire threat, pushing Leiba further into a state of anxiety and paranoia. The atmosphere of the village becomes increasingly hostile.

• Internal and External Conflict: Leiba struggles to differentiate between real dangers and his own escalating fears, leading him down a path of transformation with extreme and tragic consequences. The film highlights how external societal prejudices deeply impact individual psychology.

Plot Summary: The Easter Countdown to Conflict

• A Seemingly Harmonious Setting: The film is set in a picturesque Romanian village at the turn of the 20th century. Leiba, a Jewish innkeeper, lives with his wife Sura and son Eli, their inn serving as a local hub.

• Undercurrents of Prejudice: Despite the apparent camaraderie among patrons, casual conversations at the inn expose latent prejudices and antisemitic sentiments, subtly foreshadowing the unfolding drama.

• The Tipping Point: Leiba's decision to fire Gheorghe, his Christian employee, after a series of provocative interactions, unleashes a torrent of animosity. Gheorghe's vow of revenge casts a dark shadow over Leiba and his family.

• The Holy Week Escalation: As the period between Jewish Passover and Christian Easter progresses, the tension mounts. Leiba's efforts to navigate the increasingly hostile environment are undermined by his growing paranoia.

• Descent into Paranoia and Violence: Leiba's struggle to distinguish between genuine threats and his own anxieties intensifies, ultimately leading to a tragic climax where the line between victim and perpetrator blurs, and the pervasive nature of prejudice consumes the community.

Director's Vision: Unmasking the Roots of Hatred

• Adaptation and Nuance: Andrei Cohn's vision involves a free adaptation of Ion Luca Caragiale's 1889 novella "An Easter Torch," crafting a world rich in cinematic and psychological nuance.

• Timeless Relevance: Cohn aims to present characters who feel contemporary, despite the period setting, highlighting the enduring nature of human prejudices.

• Anatomy of Violence: The film explores the roots of hatred and violence, particularly antisemitism, without being overtly judgmental, but rather by questioning how communal tensions can escalate to murderous spirals.

• Observational Storytelling: Cohn positions the audience as active observers, inviting them to peer into the past and witness the unfolding of traditions and conversations that reveal cultural perceptions.

• Subtle Indictment: While appearing to be a quaint period drama, the film is a thinly veiled indictment of cultural bigotry, demonstrating how those who are victimized can also, in turn, perpetuate similar prejudices.

Themes: The Venom of Xenophobia

• Antisemitism and Prejudice: The central theme revolves around the insidious and corrosive effects of antisemitism and broader prejudices against "the foreign/alien other," including Romani people and Turks, prevalent in the late 19th-century Romanian countryside.

• Fear and Paranoia: The film meticulously explores how fear, both real and imagined, can consume an individual, leading to a state of debilitating paranoia and ultimately, self-destructive actions.

• The Cycle of Violence: Cohn highlights how suspicion and antipathy can lodge deep within a community, transforming roles and perpetuating a cycle where victims can become perpetrators.

• Identity and Belonging: The film touches upon the struggles of maintaining cultural identity and traditions in a rapidly changing world, and the challenges of belonging within a hostile majority.

• Moral Ambiguity: The narrative blurs the lines between good and evil, victim and aggressor, presenting a nuanced view of human behavior under duress.

Key Success Factors: Immersive Period Detail and Powerful Performances

• Authentic Production Design: The film boasts magnificently authentic and lived-in production design and costuming, creating a rich and detailed historical world without being ostentatious.

• Powerful Performances: The intense and caustic exchanges, particularly between Doru Bem (Leiba) and Ciprian Chiricheş (Gheorghe), are crucial to the film's success, conveying the simmering intensity and unraveling of emotions.

• Psychological Depth: The film's strength lies in its meticulous exploration of its protagonist's complex and swerving emotions, providing a formidable and timeless specificity to his internal conflicts.

• Timely Relevance: Despite its period setting, the film's exploration of xenophobia and intolerance resonates strongly with contemporary social issues.

• Thought-Provoking Narrative: The movie takes its time to build mood and allow thematic explorations to unfold with careful deliberation, prompting viewers to consider profound questions about human nature and societal dynamics.

Awards and Nominations: Recognition at Major Festivals "Holy Week" has garnered significant attention and was considered one of the top 3 best Romanian films of 2024. It has been nominated for a variety of Gopo Awards, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Feature Film, Best Costume Design, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Production Design, and Best Hair and Make-up. The film also received the Romanian Days Award for Feature Film at the TIFF Awards, and had its international premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale 2024, Forum section). It was also featured at the Transilvania International Film Festival and the Sarajevo Film Festival.

Critics Reception: A Poetic and Disquieting Historical Odyssey

• Cineuropa: Describes "Holy Week" as a "free adaptation" of Caragiale's novella, where Andrei Cohn "crafts a world illuminated by considerable cinematic and psychological nuance." It notes how the characters feel contemporary and highlights the slow burning fuse of anti-Semitism.

• International Cinephile Society: Praises the film as a "powerful film that is driven by a quiet, poetic intensity," and a "thinly veiled indictment of cultural bigotry." The review highlights the impeccable attention to detail in production design and costuming, and the film's ability to be "both intimate and sprawling in equal measure." It also points out that the film portrays both victims and perpetrators of bigotry.

• Film Fest Report: Questions "Why violence?" as the film's central inquiry. It draws parallels to Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon" in its non-judgmental but questioning gaze on how neighbors can descend into murderous spirals. While acknowledging Cohn's desire to show "almost everything," it suggests some pacing issues.

• Overall Summary: Critics generally commend "Holy Week" for its powerful and nuanced portrayal of historical antisemitism and prejudice. The film is praised for its strong performances, authentic period details, and its ability to delve into complex psychological states. While some reviews mention pacing, the overall consensus highlights its importance as a thought-provoking and disquieting exploration of human darkness and the fragility of peace.

Reviews: An Intelligent and Corrosive Examination of Prejudice

• High On Films: Reviews "Holy Week" as a film buttressed by "magnificently authentic, lived-in production design," creating a rich, minute understanding of a discrete world and time. The review particularly focuses on the protagonist's "complex, swerving emotions and conflicts [that] strike with formidable, timeless specificity." It highlights the film's acute condensation of an unraveling and its fallout, propelled by the "simmering intensity and caustic power in the exchange" between the lead actors. The review eloquently describes how the film "swoops on the insidious, devastating, cancerous pull of prejudice, xenophobia, and blinding hate."

• Overall Summary: Reviews emphasize the film's intelligent and detailed exploration of prejudice and its devastating consequences. Critics appreciate the film's ability to build a distinct mood of unease and precarity, leading to a profound examination of how suspicion and antipathy can corrupt individuals and communities. The performances are consistently lauded for their intensity and ability to convey the intricate emotional landscape of the characters.

Why to watch this movie: A Mirror to Humanity's Darker Side

• Timeless Relevance: The film's exploration of prejudice, xenophobia, and the breakdown of social harmony remains incredibly pertinent in today's world, offering a historical lens on enduring human struggles.

• Powerful Character Study: It provides a deep dive into the psychological impact of fear and paranoia on an individual, showcasing a compelling transformation fueled by external pressures and internal anxieties.

• Historical Immersion: The meticulously crafted period setting transports viewers to late 19th-century Romania, offering a rich cultural and historical experience.

• Exceptional Performances: The lead actors deliver intense and nuanced performances that truly drive the narrative and convey the emotional weight of the story.

• Thought-Provoking Narrative: "Holy Week" is not just a story; it's a conversation starter, prompting reflection on the origins and consequences of hatred and the importance of vigilance against its insidious spread.

Movie Trend: Resurgent Period Dramas with Social Commentary "Holy Week" aligns with a growing trend of period dramas that use historical settings to provide sharp and timely social commentary. Rather than simply recreating the past, these films leverage historical narratives to explore universal themes of identity, prejudice, and power dynamics, making them resonate strongly with contemporary audiences. This trend often sees directors employing a non-judgmental, observational approach to historical events to highlight their enduring relevance.

Social Trend: The Global Rise in Xenophobia and Intolerance The film directly addresses the ongoing global social trend of rising xenophobia, antisemitism, and intolerance. In a world experiencing increased polarization and heightened tensions between different communities, "Holy Week" serves as a poignant reminder of how easily prejudices can escalate into conflict and how fragile peaceful coexistence can be. It mirrors contemporary societal anxieties about "the other" and the devastating consequences of unchecked hatred.

Final Verdict: A Vital and Unsettling Cinematic Experience "Holy Week" is a vital and unsettling cinematic experience. Andrei Cohn's masterful direction, coupled with powerful performances and an immaculately crafted period setting, transforms a historical narrative into a profound and deeply relevant commentary on the human capacity for prejudice and fear. While its pacing may require patience from some viewers, the film's intelligent exploration of complex themes and its unwavering gaze into the darker corners of the human soul make it a highly recommended watch for those seeking thought-provoking and impactful cinema. It serves as a stark reminder of the continuous need for empathy and understanding in a world perpetually grappling with the echoes of its past.