The Deflowering of Eva van End (De Ontmaagding van Eva van End)

Year: 2012
Country: NETHERLANDS
Run Time: 98 minutes

Eva barely exists to her odd and dysfunctional family. So nobody notices when she volunteers to host a German exchange student for two weeks. But when Veit appears–blond, handsome, and oddly perfect–he shakes the van End household to its core. Veit acts polite, is unflappably cheerful, glows with health, and centers himself with meditation. However, no one is more uncentered than the van Ends. Veit's glowing sun of perfection will yank each family member from their strange orbits into collision courses. Festival regulars who loved "Adam's Apples" (30th CIFF) or "The Art of Negative Thinking" (32nd CIFF) will recognize this deliciously dark template. Using the darkest of humor, the film highlights the humanity each van End has buried and that Veit irresistably unearths, along with a shocking family secret. And what about poor little Eva? Hopelessly obsessed with Veit, Eva decides that while her family loses its collective mind, she needs to lose something as well. The resulting meltdown is outrageous, funny, and bizarrely touching. THE DEFLOWERING OF EVA VAN END is a twisted gem that will leave you satisfied. (In Dutch with subtitles) – C.R.

• Tweet