The Devil’s Bath (120 mins). 

This includes a post- screening Q&A with the filmmakers and Professors Stuart and Kyu Kim. Like the Lunn Lecture, it is free and open to the public. The film will be screened in its original German with English subtitles.

“In 18th century Austria, Agnes (Anja Plaschg) embarks on a new life as she marries her beloved Wolf (David Scheid). However, her hopes for marital bliss are quickly shattered by a controlling mother-in-law and her husband’s apparent disinterest in her. As Agnes struggles with the isolation and despair of her unfulfilling existence, she descends down a dark and disturbing path that leads her to contemplate the unthinkable.

The Devil’s Bath is a haunting and visually stunning exploration of the human psyche, masterfully crafted by the Austrian directing duo Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala (Goodnight Mommy, The Lodge). With authentic period details and a slow-burn approach that builds to a chilling climax, the film delves into the complexities of religious beliefs, mental health and the societal pressures that can drive one to the brink of madness. Anja Plaschg delivers a powerful and nuanced performance as Agnes, a woman whose piety and innocence are tested by the harsh realities of her time. This thought-provoking and emotionally charged film is a must-see for those who appreciate artfully executed genre cinema.”––Jarod Neece, Tribeca Film Festival

This film is based on UC Davis Professor Kathy Stuart’s research into early modern European “suicide by proxy.”

Free

Co-sponsored by the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art; Cinema and Digital Media; Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies; German and Russian; Global Affairs; Medieval and Early Modern Studies; Religious Studies; Science and Technology Studies; and Sociology, along with generous support from the Lunn Family and the public.

About the Filmmakers

Veronica Franz, born in Vienna in 1965, studied German and philosophy and worked as a journalist. She has also worked as an artistic collaborator with Ulrich Seidl since 1997 and co-wrote the screenplays for all of his films including Dog Days (2001), Import Export (2007), the Paradise trilogy (2012/13) and Wicked Games – Rimini Sparta (2023). In 2003 she also founded the Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion GmbH with him.

Severin Fiala, born in 1985 in Horn, studied at the Vienna Film Academy. He worked at the Red Cross and celebrated his first success with the award-winning short film Elephant Skin (2009, co-directed with Ulrike Putzer).

The first collaboration between Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala was the international award-winning documentary Kern (premiere: Locarno Film Festival 2012). This was followed by their first joint feature film Goodnight Mommy (2014), which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, won several awards and was put forward by Austria for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. A US remake of the film was released internationally by Amazon in 2022 under the same name, starring Naomi Watts. The Lodge, the directing duo’s first English-language feature film, has a prominent cast including US stars Riley Keough and Jaeden Martell. It celebrated its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019. The Devil’s Bath, the historical film by Franz and Fiala — produced by Ulrich Seidl (coproducer: B. Brokemper) — premiered at Berlinale 2024 (and awarded a Silver Bear), is the Austrian entry of the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film 2025.

About the Lecture Series

The Lunn Lectureship commemorates Eugene Lunn, a member of the Davis Department of History who distinguished himself as an incisive scholar and beloved teacher in the field of modern European intellectual history. In his memory, a fund was created to support an annual lecture series bringing notable speakers to campus to address significant cultural issues from a historical perspective.