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Sofia, The Possession - My IFFI Experience and Review

  • Jackie
  • Nov 25, 2024
  • 3 min read

Updated: Dec 2, 2024

This film in the horror genre was released in October 2024. I watched this movie on the big screen during the International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2024). I was privileged to receive a delegate pass, which allowed me to watch a maximum of five movies daily. Although Goa has been hosting this festival for years, few locals attend the screenings. When I was there, I noticed many people from other states in attendance.


Inspired by the haunting baroque atmosphere of 70 ́s horror classics like “Suspiria” and “Carrie”, Guillermo Barreira’s debut feature SOFIA, THE POSSESSION, promises to be a thrilling journey into the depths of horror. It tells the story of young Sofia, who embarks on a quest for answers following her mother’s mysterious death, only to uncover a chilling truth that leads her to a face-to-face with the devil himself. The film is backed by producers Eye Slice, known for recent successes such as “The Passenger”, which skyrocketed to success, reaching more than 65 countries and remaining in the TOP 10 on Amazon Prime Video Spain for weeks and “The Elderly” a film that stood out in the horror genre, causing a sensation at prestigious festivals around the world.


Video embedded from Vimeo


OVERALL SUMMARY AND Q&A WITH THE DIRECTOR - SPOILER

Aside from what the movie was about, I think the moment that stood out to me was the attendance of director Guillermo Barreira. He was introduced to the audience before the movie, said a few words and promised a Q&A at the end.


But our Indians (being what they are) rushed out with absolutely no regard for the person who stood in front. Well, that being the downer, those who remained back asked a few questions.


According to the director Guillermo Barreira, they stayed on location for over a month to get a feel for the place during the shoot. Being a low-budget movie, he said he had to carry the heavy camera on his shoulder during the shooting. He conceptualised a boarding setting for the film and pointed out to the crowd that it was a 'Don Bosco' convent back in Spain. He preferred a girl's convent over a boy's because he believed that girls think more about ghosts and stuff, and boys generally had other activities that occupied their minds. He said he had never seen a ghost or come across anything occult or paranormal in his life. However, he did reveal to the audience that he saw his grandpa (I think) after he died. He answered a few questions about the plot and explained a few moments to the audience. I thought he would have difficulty understanding our people, but he did just fine.


On another note, I have to say that the elderly lady seated beside me and the elderly gentleman seated next to her did not get the movie's plot. She turned to me at the end and asked, 'How did you like the movie?' and then started rattling out something in Hindi, which made me question if she understood the plot because I heard the name 'Sofia' a few times amid the Hindi she blabbered.


Another observation is that people book movie slots without understanding the kind of movie they are walking into. I saw a couple of people walking out in the early part of the movie when there was some blood and a couple more left when there was an 'Exorcist' movie-like scene.


TICKLED MY FANCY (HIGHLIGHTS)

  • The overall plot was good. There was a small surprise element.

  • Considering it was a low-budget film, they did well with the scenes.

  • The actors did well, too.

  • Some parts felt real and made the characters seem helpless. Being a boarding school brought up kid; I felt a bit of that helpless feeling during the movie.


A WORD OF CAUTION (LOWLIGHTS)

  • If you are not into horror movies, this movie is not for you.

  • The viewer is left to put together the plot at the end of the movie. I mentioned this because the director had to explain some parts of the story and the ending to the audience.

  • There is blood. If that's not what you want to watch, this is not for you.

  • There are some scenes which show the 'Exorcist' like demonic possession, which can make some want to stop watching.


My overall rating is a 6 out of 10. A talk with the director made a slight difference in my rating.

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