Studio, Cheltenham International Film Festival

Cheltenham International Film Festival - We Have Never Been Modern

In 1930’s Czechoslovakia, the corpse of a newborn intersex child is found sitting in rubble at a newly built chemical plant. It might sound like the setup to a Nordic noir thriller, and there certainly is a detective story at play as the factory director’s wife Helena sets out to solve the mystery, but this stylish period drama is also concerned with very contemporary issues of gender and sexuality, which it probes against the flawed dreams and ideology of rising fascism and increased industrialisation. Helena’s investigation runs in parallel with her own pregnancy, her inquisitiveness putting her in great danger as she links the body to a political cover up with implications for the whole community. 

With a compelling lead performance and ravishing cinematography, this engrossing, thought provoking historical drama holds a mirror to current hot button issues.