Away

A young boy awakens in an unknown place, soon to be chased by a monster. He escapes on a motorbike with an endearing bird as a companion, travelling through beautiful but puzzling lands. Some are paradisiacal, but even these are underlaid with a sense of anxiety, for the hollow-eyed monster is never far behind. Away is a film of hypnotic beauty under tension. Like a fairy tale, it’s set in nowhere, but this very disconnectedness from the concrete gives it its metaphorical power and makes it so easy to identify with. A portrayal of life’s encounters and challenges, but also of loss. (Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival)