Article by: Mirko Serra

Translated by: Carlotta Anna Antonacci

With Erupcja, a bohemian portrait of Warsaw in four-thirds format, Pete Ohs returns to an authorial register after exploring various genres.

The eruption mentioned in the title is that of Mount Etna, which forces Bethany (Charli xcx) and her boyfriend Rob (Will Madden) to extend their vacation in the Polish capital. Here, Bethany discovers that Rob wants to marry her, a prospect that prompts her to break away from the rigid schedule he has planned. This is how she meets Nel (Lena Góra). Their friendship is so intense that it seems capable of moving even the earth. For Bethany, Nel is very different from Rob, with whom «volcanoes don’t erupt». A symbiotic relationship is rekindled between the two, suspended on that fine line between friendship and love.

Ohs chooses as protagonist Charli xcx, British singer and pop phenomenon of the moment, who plays a role not too far from the brat girl that the artist embodies in the music scene: cheeky, rebellious, over the top. It is this element that perhaps attracts younger viewers, who may find in Erupcja an extension of the artist’s cultural experimentation in the indie scene.

However, the real protagonist of the film is Warsaw, which no longer serves as a mere background but becomes a living presence that dominates relationships and guides the characters. According to Bethany, Warsaw is the most romantic city in Europe, and Ohs attempts to reveal this to us by creating a symphony of images and sounds, offering visual solutions inspired by Nouvelle Vague and European experimental cinema. The director works in an almost family-like production setting: in addition to editing and photography, he writes the screenplay together with the rest of the cast, giving form to an intimate and choral creative process that makes Erupcja a true team effort.

Article published in “La Repubblica Torino” online on November 30th, 2025.