Keswick Film Club - Victoria

Synopsis

"One Girl. One City. One Night. One Take" So says the film's trailer, and you know you are in for an adrenaline rush. Starting in a Berlin night club, the pulsating music sets the tone as Victoria, a fun-loving Spanish girl on holiday, meets four German youths.

"Victoria is an extraordinary filmgoing experience, raw and exciting." - Dave Calhoun, Time Out.

Sebastian Shipper shot this whole film three times, each in one take, and then picked the best one. The camera almost becomes a character here, stalking Victoria around. Travelling all over the city, with the inevitable many bit players, this would be pretty astonishing anyway, but the story is also gripping. What seems to start out as a fun night on the city, or a potential romance between Victoria and Sonne, turns into a heist full of danger... and the film becomes a fully fledged thriller.

Much of the action, as the title implies, follows Victoria, played here by Laia Costa who has won as many awards and plaudits as Shipper for her mesmerising performance - "Costa is simply perfect here. Watch the way her eyes convey the emotion of the moment, whether or not it's in the cautious flirtation with Sonne or the fear of the second act" - Brian Tallerico, Roger Ebert.com.