Synopsis

Fresh off a best director win at Fantasia for Hadrah Daeng Ratu, the prolific horror filmmaker at its helm, The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin brings gross-out gore to an Indonesian story of black magic revenge that tips the scales on the delicate balance between good and evil.

In the Islamic faith, the Book of Sijjin tallies transgressions while the Book of Illiyyin keeps track of pious deeds. In this blood-soaked tale of a stepdaughter’s brutal retribution against the family that tormented her for twenty years, the once-meek Yuli transforms from docile servant to hell-bent destructress. When her stepmother’s death leaves her at the mercy of her even crueler stepsister, Yuli seeks the help of a shaman who instructs her in a ritual that will send a powerful jinn after Yuli’s tormentors. One by one, the family members die horrific deaths. Only the devout granddaughter stands in the way of the force of black magic as the narrative culminates in a fierce battle between heaven and hell, religion and folk tradition.

With striking cinematography that captures in detail every blood splatter and dirt smear, The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin offers genre fans ample imagery to delight and disgust.

Synopsis

In 1987 suburban Tokyo, sensitive eleven-year-old Fuki is faced with her father’s terminal illness without much in the way of emotional support from her overwhelmed mother. Left to her own devices, she retreats into her own imagination, developing an interest in telepathy and a penchant for phoning into a dating agency. Seeking out adventures, she begins to navigate the difficult terrain of early adolescence, all the while trying to process the tremendous loss looming on the horizon.

Reaching back to a formative chapter from her own life, Festival alum Chie Hayakawa (Plan 75) fashions an impressionistic sketch of a girl adrift. The irrepressible presence of gifted newcomer Yui Suzuki animates every frame—she delivers a mesmerizing performance of richness and complexity beyond her years, transforming Renoir into a moving, episodic character study filled with illuminating insights and beautiful imagery.