Margot (Luisa Taraz) and Deiter (Frederik von Lüttichau) have inherited a large castle and hope it’ll make them some money. It’s very old and will need a lot doing to it, but Deiter is keen to look around so heads to the basement. Startled by a bat, he drops his car keys. He then experiences something that terrifies him. Margot catches a glimpse of something in the corner of her eye. They want to leave, but Deiter doesn’t want to go back down to the cellar in the dark. Spending the night in the place might be the last thing they wanted to do and it could well be…
Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes is a film that’s hard to describe without ruining the experience for the viewer. A German film co-written and directed by Austrian Kevin Kopacka (Hager), it poses questions about time, relationships, and filmmaking. It’s stunningly filmed; the majority of the action takes place in the castle, which acts as both a tomb and playground for the characters.
Kopacka is clearly influenced by ‘70s Euro-horror. Even the font on the film title evokes the feeling of the brightly coloured and beautifully shot nightmares of Mario Bava and Jess Franco. There’s even an overt nod to Jean Rollin’s La Rose de Fer with a character holding a skull in front of her face. While it’s more atmospheric than terrifying, there is one brilliant moment that will make all the males watching wince.
As the film descends into a trippy world of orgies and fiery visuals, there’s a lot to take in. At a little over 70 minutes, Kopacka has crammed plenty into the picture. It might take a number of views to decipher it all, though.
Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes is released in UK cinemas on December 2nd
