Rea Lest takes the lead in "Lex Julia," a Finnish, Estonian, Polish and Swedish co-produced thriller following a survivor whose past collides with a dangerous present.
Shot on a private island in the Turku archipelago, the English- and Swedish-language film is directed by Finnish filmmaker Laura Hypponen.
Lest stars alongside Sweden's Christian Hillborg ("Fleabag," "Young Royals," "The Last Kingdom") and Finland's Jessica Grabowsky ("Tom of Finland," "Icebreaker").
The story follows a date rape survivor meeting her attacker years later, exploring the perspectives of the victim, the accused, as well as "the third party -- the wife of the alleged rapist," Hypponen explained.
The director said she wanted to dig deep into the subject "without moralizing or sensationalizing," focusing instead on the tension of the claustrophobia created by the film's single location and limited cast.
"Film is a very powerful medium and I try to use it to move people," she said. "In the case of 'Lex Julia,' my goal is to both seduce and disturb the audience out of their comfort zone."
Lest plays Julia, a music producer who visits her new friend Anna's isolated villa. When Anna introduces her husband JP, Julia instantly recognizes him as her past and present collide in a tense, emotional confrontation over one fateful weekend.
Hypponen explained that for the titular role of Julia, she sought an actress "that could convey strength and vulnerability while also bringing dark humor and unpredictability to the role."
After not finding the right fit in Finland, she and executive producer Merja Ritola expanded their search abroad.
Estonian co-producer Marianne Ostrat praised the collaboration.
"'Lex Julia' participated in the Baltic Event co-production market during the Tallinn Dark Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) in 2021," Ostrat said, recalling that the project had intrigued her even just based on a short synopsis. She noted that the rare choice of an Estonian actress in the lead gave the co-production a strong foundation.
Ostrat said filming was intense but went smoothly, describing Lest as "admirable both as an actress and as a team member." She added that she is eagerly anticipating the film's completion and both its Estonian and international premieres.
The film is currently in post-production in Poland, with Estonian sound director Matis Rei also at work. During filming in Finland in August and September, Estonian crew included production sound mixer Ranno Tislar, boom operator Tanel Tänna, steadicam operator Janar Volmer and drone operator Jaan Kronberg.