How does belief change a person’s destiny? The new film “Omen” tackles the complicated topic through several stories — a man who returns to his birthplace to confront family prejudices and four people suspected of witchcraft. This intriguing project premiered in 2023 as part of the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section. The film went on to win the coveted New Voice prize there before being chosen as Belgium’s Oscar entry for Best International Film.
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Director and screenwriter Baloji makes his feature-length directorial debut with the heralded project; his previous short, “Zombie,” also met with critical praise at the London Film Festival. For “Omen,” the filmmaker utilized his talents in music to find the perfect balance between storytelling and soundtrack:
“Very early on in the process, I realized the music I usually make as a recording artist wouldn’t fit the film. My music always has vocals, but in this film, they would just be too much. There is already a lot of information in the image. So I kept the music in the film quite subtle.”
The film’s official synopsis:
The film follows a young man, Koffi (Marc Zinga, “Spectre”), as he returns to his birthplace in the Congo after he has been ostracized by his family. Omen explores the weight of beliefs on one’s destiny through four characters accused of being witches and sorcerers, all of them intertwined and guiding each other into the phantasmagoria of Africa.
The film co-stars Lucie Debay, Eliane Umuhire, Yves-Marina Gnahoua, and Marcel Otete Kabeya. Destiny comes with complications in “Omen.” Utopia acquired U.S. rights to the film with a release date set for 2024. Get your first look at the film below.
