EVOLUTION New Auteurs

Lucile Hadžihalilovićs sophomore feature is a fantastic tale of an island town inhabited only by women and boys. On this island live 10-year-old Nicolas and his mother. Nicolas and the island’s other boys are regularly subjected to strange medical procedures at the hands of the women. When Nicolas senses that his mother is lying to him about his treatment, he begins to investigate what she and the other women do at night when the boys are asleep. He is drawn helplessly into the beginning of a nightmare. Borne from a fascination with both the depths of the ocean and hospitals, EVOLUTION explores themes of childbirth, coming of age and the journey through puberty. It leaves itself open to interpretation, allowing the film’s mysteries to remain long after the film is over. —Jenn Murphy