In the enchanting world of Slavic folk tales, director Catherine Kasima Kanda takes us into the mysterious story of “The Crone,” a figure said to inhabit the wild forest, her face unseen by anyone. She is surrounded by chilling tales passed down through generations, shared by mothers with their children over the years. Kanda enriches these stories with her own imagination, making them feel almost real to the audience. Rather than simply retelling the folk tale, she infuses it with a unique perspective drawn from her interpretation of its themes and meanings, employing a cinematic style filled with captivating fantasy that sparks curiosity and anticipation.Kanda reweaves the tale of “The Crone” with a narrative structure that enhances its mystery and beauty, intertwining various time periods and reincarnating its female characters. From the beginning, the story centers on Milena, a girl who escapes her home to flee the cruelty of her stepfather. Her flight into the forest and her encounter with the old woman shape the narrative through the filmmaker’s perspective on the historical condition of Slavic women and her empathy for them.In this world, all the characters are female, with men depicted as sources of harm. Milena confronts an oppressed old woman who seems to know everything about her, having watched her from a distance while creating her own world in a cottage. In a dramatic moment captured in a stunning silent scene, the film reveals a long history of silence about the truth that all women are, at their core, intertwined in their sufferings and fears of retribution from the wicked man.For Kanda, a woman gains strength through solidarity with other women. This vision arises from her interest in and study of Slavic myths and folktales, suggesting that one of these stories be told through a cinematic style rich in captivating, otherworldly atmospheres. It reinforces the idea that some films cannot be fully appreciated or understood without experiencing them on screen!Kais Kasim