FANTASIA REVIEW: The Shamer’s Daughter makes its international premiere

Posted by Nicole Yeba in FringeBlog on July 26, 2015

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In the Kingdom of Dunark, Dina Torrente (Rebecca Emilie Sattrup) is a teenage girl who lives on the outskirts of the village. When she passes through the village on her horse, everyone avoids her gaze. Even the girls her age don’t play with her because they think she isn’t normal.

Her mother, Melussina Torrente (Maria Bonnevie), is a witch who can see through a person’s soul by revealing what people are most ashamed of. Her daughter has inherited this power, and is tormented by it. Of her two siblings, she was the one the villagers feared and chased away.

One morning, a maid discovers the royal family lifeless in their bedchamber. Lord Ebenezer, his wife and their young child are slain. The prime suspect is the Lord’s eldest son, Nicodemus (Jakob Oftebro), who is found passed out in the kitchen with a bloody knife in his hands. Melussina and Dina are summoned to the castle to prove Nicodemus’s guilt since he refuses to confess to the murder. This simple mission leads to the reveal of dark secrets within the castle walls.

This medieval fantasy has the classic characteristics for a film of its genre: castles, witches, dragons, a potions master and even a fight for the throne. The landscapes of the village and its surroundings are the breathtaking views of Ireland and Croatia, where the film was shot.

Director Kenneth Kainz presented the international premiere of The Shamer’s Daugther at Fantasia. The film is an adaptation of Lene Kaaberbøl’s first novel in her world-renowned young adult series, The Shamer Chronicles. Anders Thomas Jensen signed the screenplay.

Kainz was charmed by the main protagonist, Dina, when he read the series. Sattrup perfectly embodies the archetype of the rebellious teenage girl, captivating audiences with her eyes.

There has been no word on the release of a sequel episode. Hopefully, though, it’ll be sometime soon.