Martin Doepner’s Rouge Sang, a.k.a. The Storm Within (2013), takes place in the deep woods of Québec, New Year’s Eve 1799.
We are introduced to a family of five who live a modest and happy existence. On this day, the father must venture into town. While the patriarch is absent, a group of British Soldiers, Red Coats as they were called, appear at the family’s household in need of shelter and medical aid as a storm approaches.
The tension between the Québecois family and the Red Coats, quite high already since the former want the latter out of their territory, is exploded when the young boy of the family overhears the soldier’s discussing and laughing over the killing of a “thief” earlier in the day.
Further evidence suggests that the wife’s husband is this thief. Before the dawn of the New Year, she must take her revenge.
The rest of the plot is a bit of a bloodbath as the woman ingeniously takes killing into her own hands. The theme of the empowered female protagonist carries over to our screening next week of Takeshi Miike’s cult classic Audition (1999).
In both Rouge Sang and Audition, we see a strong and intelligent female brutally take revenge on individual men, in a small way fighting the visible and invisible forces of patriarchy.
We are pleased to screen Doepner’s brand new film, set on New Year’s Eve, just a few days into the new year. We hope you can join us for what I think will one day be a classic in Canadian Horror Cinema.
Trent Film Society Presents Martin Doepner’s Rouge Sang on Wednesday January 8 at 8pm, at Artspace (378 Aylmer Street, between Hunter and Simcoe).
For more information check out our Facebook or just email us at trentfilmsociety@gmail.com.
