Dead & Beautiful

Quite a contemporary look, those black face masks worn by the five twenty-somethings out hunting among the Taipei nightlife. But what they actually hide are their Dracula fangs. One of David Verbeek’s most ambitious productions, Dead & Beautiful was already in the pipeline when he presented How to Describe a Cloud at Rotterdam in 2013. Both films have a role for the spiritual, which in this vampire drama contrasts sharply with the vacuous world of Lulu and her friends, who fill the inner void with extravagant experiences. With unforeseen consequences. After a weird night, five bored, super-rich friends find out they are vampires. Panic! Is this really what they have become? Can they still trust one another? Each and every one goes to extreme lengths to find out. This take on the vampire genre plays generously with societal tension and expectations at a meta level. The opulent but eerie locations and impressive cityscapes are mesmerising, yet function as a backdrop for themes such as violence, isolation and innocence. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)