This unique Gothic vision from an uncompromising Australian filmmaker makes for one of 2022’s best first films.

In a 19th-century Macedonian village, a desperate woman makes a deal with a witch known as Old Maid Maria or the Wolf-Eateress. When this sinister figure returns years later to claim what she is owed, she finds the woman’s now-16-year-old daughter, Nevena; as a gesture of ownership, Maria imparts upon her the ability to shapeshift. With this newfound power, Nevena must learn to make her way through an unfamiliar world hostile to her kind.

Australian-Macedonian filmmaker Goran Stolevski – director of MIFF 70 Opening Night film Of an Age – has made a name for himself through his shorts that have won awards across the globe. Now, his unsettling, utterly enthralling feature debut has caused a sensation following its Sundance premiere. Starring Noomi Rapace (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo; Angel of Mine, MIFF 2019) and Alice Englert (Beautiful Creatures; Ginger & Rosa, MIFF 2012), and invoking the best of Terrence Malick and Robert Eggers, this lushly visualised supernatural tale of identity and autonomy will leave you spellbound.

“Daring … You Won’t Be Alone announces the arrival of a fierce new genre talent, an inventive stylist and an unapologetic interrogator of mankind with something worthwhile to say.“ – RogerEbert.com