7. Chamanka (1996)
Chamanka (or Szmanka as it is also known), is directed by my favourite director Andrzej Zulawski. Not known for being a restrained director, Zulawski likes to let it all hang out. He coaxes highly emotional performances from his actors that border on hysteria and overacting. He is not a director appreciated in this country, or anywhere else for that matter. He is probably most known for ex video nasty Possession where he managed to elicit one of cinema's most highly charged performances out of Isabelle Adjani. You can say a lot of negative things about him, but he always has interesting characters. Chamanka concerns the relationship between Michal, an Anthropology professor and an unnamed young woman who claims to be a student. At the start of the film, Michal has excavated the body of a shaman who has been in the ground for thousands of years. He becomes obsessed with the shaman and also has a passionate sexual relationship with the girl. Michal has to choose between the beautiful, civilised fiancee he has (who happens to be his boss's daughter) and the wild girl who cannot conform to the rules. So it comes between society and civilisation versus shamanism and a wild life. The end is typical Zulawski hyperbole, I won't spoil it for you but I will give you a clue - BRAINS! As per usual for a Zulawski film, the film is very erotic and there is sex galore. Explicit sex. It is quite like In The Realm Of the Senses in the sense that it deals with an intense all consuming erotic love affair. The parts of the shaman's discovery and Michal's fascination with it are arguably more interesting than his love affair but I just thought I would bring some Zulawski's magic your way. The ending is very shocking. If you like your Extreme cinema and taboo busting films, this is a good one to catch.