10th edition CIFF – 10-14 April 2024

FILMS 2024:  Caribbean Focus | Feature Films | Short Films | Yellow Robin Award Nominees
FILMS 2019: A – E | F – L | M – P | Q – S | T –  Z | Feature Film | Short Film
FILMS 2018: A – E | F – L | M – P | Q – S | T –  Z | Feature Film | Short Film
FILMS 2017: A – E | F – L | M – P | Q – S | T –  Z | Feature Film | Short Film
FILMS 2016: A – E | F – L | M – P | Q – S | T –  Z | Feature Film | Short Film
FILMS 2015: A – E | F – L | M – P | Q – S | T –  Z | Feature Film | Short Film

Dirty God (2019 Feature Film)

Sacha Polak | Netherlands, United Kingdom, Belgium, Ireland | 2019 | color | DCP | 105′ | English | d.s.

Young London mother Jade (a superb performance by Vicky Knight) must rebuild her life following an acid attack, although she hardly dares look in the mirror. Sacha Polak’s powerful portrait of a complex woman retains the intensity of her previous features, Hemel and Zurich.

Previous
Next

When Jade, a young mother from London, is discharged from hospital, the doctors are happy with her progress. But can she ever be happy again? After an acid attack by her ex, she will have to live with scars on her neck, chest, arms and part of her face. The burns may heal, but the scars remain.

Dirty God is a portrait of a woman with incredible resilience. This is the third time director Sacha Polak has chosen a capricious, complex, strong female protagonist, following her much-appreciated features Hemel (2011) and Zurich (2015). Jade is no passive victim; she makes her own choices – good or bad – and deals with the consequences. Polak’s first English-language feature is controlled and subtle, without the director surrendering any of her typical intensity. Newcomer Vicky Knight, who was badly burned as a child, is a genuine revelation in a powerful lead performance.

Place: The Cinemas 5

Date: 10 April 2019

Time: 22:30

Duration: 1:16

Place: The Cinemas 4

Date: 11 April 2019

Time: 15:30

Duration: 1:16

Place: The Cinemas 4

Date: 13 April 2019

Time: 10:30

Duration: 1:16

Year in
Festival

2019

Director

Sacha Polak

Camera

Ruben Impens

Cast

Vicky Knight
Katherine Kelly
Eliza Brady-Girard
Rebecca Stone
Bluey Robinson

Country

Netherlands
United Kingdom
Belgium
Ireland

Editor

Sander Vos

Language

English

Length

105′

Music

Rutger Reinders

Producer

Marleen Slot
Michael Elliott

Production Company

Viking Film
Emu Films
A Private View
Savage Productions

Sales

Independent

Scenario

Sacha Polak
Susanne Farrell

Year of Production

2019

Sacha POLAK (1982, Nederland) is regisseur en scenarist. Haar speelfilmdebuut Hemel (2012) werd in Berlijn vertoond en won de FIPRESCI-prijs in Venetië. Haar tweede speelfilm Zurich (2015) werd ook in Berlijn vertoond en won daar de C.I.C.A.E.-prijs. Dirty God (2019) is haar eerste Engelstalige film en de eerste Nederlandse film die ooit is geselecteerd voor de hoofdcompetitie van Sundance.

 

Filmography

Hemel (2012), Zurich (2015), Dirty God (2019)