Code Blue

Marian, an ascetic fortysomething nurse of introverted disposition, is totally devoted to her work, which often means she is the last person her critically ill and dying patients ever set eyes on. On occasion she even sees herself in the role of redeemer, shortening the patient’s suffering herself. For Marian, these moments which allow her to be within a hair’s breadth of death bring her an irresistible sense of absolute intimacy. Outside the “safety” of the hospital Marian leads a secluded, solitary life, violently suppressing all emotion. Until she accidentally becomes involved in an act of mutual voyeurism and finds that she is strongly attracted to a strange man. This eagerly awaited second movie by the young filmmaker recently provoked some extreme reactions at the Cannes festival. Urszula Antoniak offers a radical film essay on the theme of solitude and, at the same time, a visually sophisticated portrait “painted” in steel-blue compositions, depicting an emotionally disturbed woman (the excellent Bien de Moor) who, at a crucial point in her life, succumbs to a dangerous urge. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)