David Laumann Hansen's short film 'Kervorum' follows the stories of Hans (played by Uffe Lindberg Wewer Jakobsen), a priest who gets killed by a mythical creature whilst hunting, and his son Niels (played by Christian Bogetoft). This young man tries to avenge his father's death in the best way he can. For this, he must follow his father's steps into the wilderness and wait for the right moment when the mythical creature appears to proceed with his revenge. Niels waits for the perfect time of the day to leave the church, with almost nothing on him, but with the hope that justice will be served that day.
From our description, the story may seem extremely simple and serene. Still, in reality, this short film presents a highly poetic truth, challenging some principles of philosophy in ways no one expects. Christian Bogetoft plays a remarkable role in finding an answer to all of his questions regarding his father's faith. But, like in the old Greek tales, he goes to see an act of perfect revenge, challenging the forces of nature in a very particular way.
The mythical creature here is called 'Kervorum', but we think it is a code for something else. When Niels goes on his quest to find justice, he finds his dead father in the middle of the forest, and while he mourns the parent's death, behind him appears a horrific creature that he ends up killing. We strongly believe that this whole story is based on the grief of losing a loved one and the pain one feels in this situation. This kind of pain will make you want to kill death itself for all the pain it poured on you. Here, we seem to find the same motive, where Niels kills death and buries it in the water of a river he later uses to wash his face. This symbolic gesture may be the realization that he killed death, destroyed the world's order, and tried himself to fill that space. The immediate realization of what he did can be seen in the film's last shot, where he has mud on his face, trying to figure out what's next.
'Kervorum' has a relatively simple set-up. Still, it comes to amaze the viewers through the double entendre of the story and a perfectly crafted cinematography that will give you chills!
Written by Vlad A. G.