The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick

A true “mushroom movie,” where hallucination blurs with a deeper meditation on motherhood, the female body, grief, and cycles of life. Yvonne (Zoë Chao) is shaken by the death of her beloved dog. Overwhelmed by sorrow and guilt, she visits her old college friend Camille (Callie Hernandez), who now lives in a remote house. But something feels off. Yvonne isn’t the only guest as they’re joined by Isaac, a real estate agent with a mystical bent, and his boyfriend A.J., who insists on sharing his dubious culinary creations. Even Camille seems like a stranger. When Yvonne is bitten by a tick during a walk in the woods, her grasp on reality begins to slip. Or maybe, for the first time, she’s truly seeing what’s been happening all along? In this intimate chamber piece focused on four central characters, Peter Ohs (director of Erupcja and co-writer of OBEX, both also screening at this year’s Tauron AFF, creates an atmosphere thick with unease. A disorienting score, unexpected editing choices, and bold framing come together to tell a story of loss and trauma, but also of transformation and rebirth.