Devouring Shrimps

The main character, Agnes, is part of an eccentric society devoted to eating shrimps. At first, the lavish feasts bring her comfort, pleasure and a sense of belonging. After years of indulgence, however, she develops a severe allergy. Eating shrimps becomes painful, just like looking at the community that no longer accepts her. She tries to return to the shrimp feasts in her own way, only to unleash hell. Agnes is drawn into a surreal world, where the past and present collide in a terrifying, apocalyptic sequence.

Director’s statement
I grew up in a close-knit religious community. Leaving it after traumatic experiences meant abandoning not only faith, but an entire world that shaped me. People care for you only as long as you are following the rules. The loss of relationships hurts the most. Years of connection disappear, replaced by pity or disdain.

In medicine, sensitization through overexposure describes how repeated exposure can make the body see something harmless as a threat. I use this as a metaphor for my film: doctrines forced without escape, life in fear, all leading to an allergic reaction of the soul.

Shrimps symbolize connection. I'm allergic to them in real life, yet they attract me, like the bittersweet memories of those I've lost. My protagonist tries to fill her emptiness with what harms her. This contradiction forms the heart of my film: the longing for community, even if it's the source of one's deepest wounds.