Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

 

 

 

 

  

 

From IMDB:

A thief awakens Valerie, just 13, taking earrings left to her by her mother. By morning, the earrings have been returned, Valerie's first period has begun, and a troupe and a missionary have arrived in her Medieval town. The thief is Olrick; he reports to a cloaked constable who may also be the missionary. Attention to sexuality is everywhere: Valerie's grandmother's puritanical nature, the missionary's sermon to the town's virgins, the parish priest's attempt to seduce Valerie, and lusty adults at play. Valerie's nascent sexuality puts her in great danger. Can she navigate the passage from innocence to experience, a route teaming with vampires, a murderer, and an obscure family tree?

Perfect film for late spring. I giggled at the thought of this being Jodorowsky for teens, picturing him running off to Czech Republic and cashing in on the vampire trend! Jaroslava Schallerová is absolutely mesmerizing as Valerie, and the images of the Polecat’s grin gave me something to be scared of at night.

Love this cover by Broadcast of Valerie’s theme song. All the more touching now that Trish Keenan is gone.