IMMACULATA, A FILM BY KIM Lêa SAKKAL, 2024. Derya, a housekeeper in a well-to-do household, finds herself inexplicably expecting despite never having been intimate. the supernatural and the divine begin to stir. As unseen forces ripple through her life, the true origin of her pregnancy lifts from the realm of possibility into something far more unsettling.
With ‘Immaculata’ I want to immerse the audience in a psychological thriller that challenges their beliefs through its exploration of ambiguity and dualism. At the heart of the narrative lies Derya, a pregnant woman whose experience blurs the lines between the supernatural and the coerced.
The story unfolds with Derya's reconstruction of a seemingly miraculous 'immaculate conception,' only to uncover layers of potential coercion and manipulation reminiscent of ancient tales of surrogate maidens. Throughout the journey, both versions of her reality remain equally plausible, creating a narrative tension that persists until the very end. As the audience delves deeper into Derya's psyche, the boundaries of perception blur, mirroring her own uncertainty and distrust. - Kim Lêa Sakkal
