RED LOTUS Film Festival präsentiert: TRAVESTY (Österreich-Premiere)

In a small Mongolian backwater, a big city police captain is drafted in to navigate a hostage situation at the local hospital, only to find himself blocked at every turn by uncooperative locals and indifference from his higher-ups. Baatar Batsukh’s second film moves away from the overt horror of his debut Aberrance to focus on the real-life nightmare of living in a place ruled by an uncaring, corrupt state. After a brisk first half, this social messaging begins to weigh the film down, although it’s buoyed somewhat by Batsukh’s keen eye for visuals and the dark comedy woven throughout.

One of Travesty’s key selling points is its striking visuals — Batsukh is also a cinematographer who lensed both this, Aberrance and other works including Erdenebileg Ganbold’s The Steed. The action here takes place in a nondescript Mongolian outback town (which, according to a rusting old sign, may be called Travesty)…