Set in a dilapidated indoor swimming pool (the Central Baths in Sofia), the film details the efforts of Anton, a clueless dreamer who yearns to sail the world, and Martha, the button obsessed cashier, to maintain the illusion for Anton's blind father that business is thriving. Working to sabotage their efforts is Gregor - Anton's brother - an amoral developer who is determined to raze the entire town and construct a sprawling condominium complex. Gregor engineers an accident that seems certain to doom the business and in the process steals away Eva, the beautiful woman of Anton's dreams. Will Gregor's dastardly plan succeed?
Cinematography
Shot entirely in a real derelict Sofia bathhouse, gorgeous decay everywhere
Production
Minimal dialogue—pure visual storytelling like 1920s cinema reborn
Practical Effects
No CGI—all the flooding and destruction is real orchestrated chaos
Director
Veit Helmer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Central Baths in Sofia were genuinely scheduled for demolition—this film is essentially its funeral portrait.
Veit Helmer made this as a deliberate anti-dialogue statement after producers said audiences needed talking—he cast Denis Lavant specifically for his expressive physicality from Carax films.
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