Written and directed by Thom Lunshof, co-written by Sam Dijkstra, in a future-flooded Netherlands, a hardened woman living in a wind turbine is torn from her desolate home by a violent storm. As she fights her way back, she begins to question whether the place she once called home still holds any meaning at all. Starring: Hadewych Minis, Violet Braeckman, Aus Greidanus Jr., Oona de Kok, Nazmiye Oral, Eelco Smits, Bram Flick, Frieda Pittoors, Catalina Lukács and Morris Graumans.
The easiest thing to get out of the way first when talking about First Zone is that this is a slow burn, it’s never truly about the destination or even really the obstacles along the way, it’s a rumination on what home means, what we live for and what we really need to live. So, understandably that won’t work for everyone, if you’re looking for more traditional dystopia, sci-fi, disaster, survival style flicks, then you probably won’t click with this one, but if you keep an open mind, you can find something original, atmospheric and introspective.
Without doubt, the next most obvious element of First Zone to delve into would be its fantastic visuals. The sweeping landscapes that Thom Lunshof litters all throughout the film have so much value to add. Especially with the excellent cinematography from Sami El Hassani, there’s a purposeful coldness yet beauty to the aesthetic which perfectly matches the tone of the film. There’s a terrific depth to it and the visuals hold such a vastness which creates the feel of a desolate world so easily.
Within First Zone is also a very heavy heart, one that has faced insurmountable loss, creating the centre of the film and it’s superbly portrayed by Hadewych Minis as Fenna. Her performance is utterly stoic, reserved, isolated and defensive, yet you can feel the haunting quality of her past and the warmth Fenna once held. That closed-off quality only becomes more interesting when she’s faced with Violet Braeckman’s Ive. Braeckman provides an unrelenting, manic, and slightly broken energy, trying to gently pry Fenna out her shell, with a hammer, and remind of what it means to have other people in your life after so much time alone. They make for a fantastic pair, it’s only a shame we don’t get to share more time with the two of them.
First Zone is meditative, measured and melancholic. A lot of what Thom Lunshof has to say with this film happens beneath the surface, it’s slow and quiet but incredibly charged. It’s stunningly shot, the locations add incredible value to the atmosphere and depth of the film. The performances from Hadewych Minis and Violet Braeckman open up that stillness of the film, and the two create a moving connection. It may not be the most traditionally satisfying viewing but it’s truly atmospheric, pensive and has an impressive level of confidence, patience and presence for a debut feature.
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