Finnish director Hanna Bergholm wanted her horror film Nightborn to explore the complex emotions that come with parenthood and challenge the taboos surrounding motherhood. Speaking at the Berlin Film Festival, she expressed her desire to depict the struggles parents face when confronting their feelings and identities. The film, originally titled Yön Lapsi, features characters Saga (Seidi Haarla) and her British husband Jon, played by Rupert Grint, as they embrace their new life in the remote Finnish forests as new parents. However, after their baby is born, Saga begins to feel uneasy about the child’s strange appearance and behavior.
Bergholm emphasized the importance of grounding the film’s events in the genuine emotions of the characters, particularly from Saga’s viewpoint. The audience is left to interpret the reality of the unfolding events. Rupert Grint mentioned that the film resonated with him as he had just discovered he would become a father, finding parenthood to be a terrifying experience. Bergholm aimed to portray the physical aspects of childbirth, including the blood and struggles that are often overlooked in discussions. When asked about inspirations, she humorously remarked that their film begins where Roman Polanski’s “Rosemary’s Baby” concludes.
With information from Reuters
