ERUPCJA
PETER OHS | USA + POLAND | 2025 | 71 MIN | ENGLISH + POLISH EST
PETER OHS | USA + POLAND | 2025 | 71 MIN | ENGLISH + POLISH EST
Subtitles: English
Synopsis
Whimsical and fun, Erupcja takes you on a wild ride as it follows Bethany (played by British singer-songwriter Charli xcx) on a trip to Warsaw, Poland where her boyfriend intends to upgrade their relationship. Little does he know, she is about to throw his perfectly planned itinerary out the window. Nel (played by Lena Góra) is a florist in Warsaw, and Bethany’s friend whom she first met on a high school trip. There’s a certain, unusual pattern to their relationship: whenever the two connect, a volcano erupts somewhere in the world. This time, it’s Mount Etna in Italy (which, interestingly, erupted in real life during the film production), forcing Bethany’s boyfriend to postpone their romantic plans and remain in Warsaw for a little while longer. A guerilla lo-fi film, kinetic and fractured with collaborative, semi-improvised dialogue and backstories revealed through wry narration, Erupcja is a refreshing take on sapphic romance, turning the traditionally restrictive practice of queer-coding into an act of joy, and allowing for ambiguity to become an enjoyable game.
Trailer
Filmmaker Bio
Pete Ohs is an American filmmaker whose work spans directing, writing, cinematography, editing and producing. He began in music videos, directing for bands including Wavves and Best Coast, before moving into low-budget independent features. His films include Jethica, Love and Work and The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick. His filmmaking is collaborative, small-scale and improvisational. Erupcja, developed while he was living in Warsaw, was written collaboratively with its cast and shot with an intimate crew, with scenes taking shape as production progressed.
Director's Statement
“After moving from Los Angeles to Warsaw at the end of 2023, I realized I had now gained direct access to one of my favorite genres—the ‘foreign film.’ […] By making my own foreign film, I was excited to find out what was lost and found in translation. […] We were talking about the challenges of relationships, the projection of meaning onto random events and the magical feeling of coincidence. We reflected on how Warsaw feels like the 70s and how it’s so much more colorful than we had expected.”
Producer
Pete Ohs, Charli XCX, Luke Arreguin, Jeremy O. Harris, Josh Godfrey
Writer
Pete Ohs, Charli XCX, Lena Góra, Jeremy O. Harris, Will Madden
Cast
- Charli XCX
- Lena Góra
- Jeremy O. Harris
- Will Madden