‘The Devil’s Bath’ (Des Teufels Bad) directed by filmmaking duo Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala has been announced by the Film & Music Association of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber as Austria’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at next year’s Academy Awards.
‘The Devil’s Bath’ starring Starring Anja Plaschg, David Scheid, and Maria Hofstätter, is a period drama/horror film set in 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon grow heavy as her life becomes a long list of chores and expectations. Day after day, she is increasingly trapped in a murky and lonely path leading to evil thoughts, until the possibility of committing a shocking act of violence seems like the only way out of her inner prison. Giving a voice to the invisible and unheard women of the rural past; The Devil’s Bath is based on historical court records about a shocking, hitherto unexplored chapter of European history.
The film garnered critical acclaim after its premiere at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival, winning the Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution award.
Shawn Van Horn in a Collider review praised the horrifying nature of the film, writing “It’s unsettling but never settles, making for a film you’ll only want to watch once, because its horror will stick with you, replaying in your mind in the quiet moments, so that a second viewing is never needed because the first has never let you go.” ‘The Devil’s Bath’ was also screened in the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and had a limited US theatrical release on June 21, 2024.
Franz and Fiala started their filmmaking partnership back in 2012 on the film ‘Kern’, a documentary on the actor Peter Kern. Their first fictional feature film, ‘Goodnight Mommy’, was also selected as the Austrian entry for Best Foreign Language Feature Film Oscars at the 88th Academy Awards.
The Oscar International Feature shortlist will be announced on December 17th, and the final five nominees will be announced on January 17th, 2025. The 97th Academy Awards ceremony (the Oscars®) takes place in Los Angeles on Sunday March 3rd, 2025.