The Devil's Bath

Our #speakingintongues series covering international language films is nearly to its close, but not before we stop by 18th century rural Austria for a harrowing and emotionally devastating examination of a horror story rooted -- terrifyingly so -- in actual history. THE DEVIL'S BATH is the third film by directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz to be covered on the FoG (following Goodnight Mommy and The Lodge). It tells the story of Agnes, newly married, who struggles to navigate her perceived purpose in the world as a wife and (hopefully) a mother. But as her husband's absent affections confuse her and her daily duties overwhelm her and the pressures of the surrounding people oppress her, she begins to slide into what the locals call "the devil's bath" -- or what we might call depression.

In that era, the Catholic church condemned suicide as a mortal and irredeemable sin. People who deeply desired to die but did not wish to be sent to hell found a hideous loophole: they would murder someone (often an innocent child) and then confess the crime so that they could be executed following confession and forgiveness. This "suicide by proxy" is documented more than 400 times in this era and this film leans heavily upon historical record for its story. To help us discuss this potent film, we're joined by friend of the show JR Forasteros and his fellow Don't Split Up podcast host (and new FoGger) Adriana Mezquitti.

Our episode also features a Patron-only segment (with guest Andrew Nelson) discussing DARK, Season 3, Episode 6. The film, although quite heavy, has moments of profound compassion and a deeply centered humanity. It presents for us a rich conversational opportunity that also has the laughter and thoughtful asides you've come to expect from us. We really hope you're safe and well and we hope you enjoy this week's discussion.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts here..

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