Yesterday we caught word that the directing duo of Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury are working on a new film called THE DEEP HOUSE, about underwater explorers finding a submerged house that was the scene of atrocious crimes. Hours after that news broke, our friends over at Bloody Disgusting unearthed the fact that THE DEEP HOUSE won't be Bustillo and Maury's fifth feature, it's their sixth. The duo have already completed work on a project called KANDISHA, which went into production in Belgium last summer.
Cineuropa reported that the film was written by Bustillo and Maury, and the story is set
in the suburbs during the summer. Three young women who have been inseparable since they were kids invoke the spirit of Kandisha, a vengeful, haunting creature found in Moroccan legends. What was only meant to be a game spirals into a nightmare when the trio’s close relations start disappearing in increasingly tragic circumstances. In the face of the unthinkable, the three friends will try to fend off Kandisha.
If you want some more information, here's a different synopsis:
It is summer break and best friends Amélie, Bintou, and Morjana hang together with the neighborhood teenagers. At night, they have fun sharing goosebumps stories and urban legends. But when Amélie is assaulted by her ex, she remembers the story of Kandisha, a powerful and vengeful demon. Afraid, upset, she summons her. The next day, her ex is found dead. The legend is true and now Kandisha is on a killing spree. The three girls will do anything to break the curse.
The film stars Mathilde Lamusse, Suzy Bemba, Samarcande Saadi, Nassim Lyes, Sandor Funtek, and Walid Afkir.
If you're not familiar with the legend of Kandisha, here's how she was described on Designing Life:
In Northern Africa, such as Morocco, people hesitate to say her name. Aisha Kandisha is a demon that goes after men. Locals say you can summon her by pouring boiling water down the drain. The legend varies depending on the region. Some say she’s a mermaid while others say she has the legs of a goat. Regardless of which version you hear she is always taking the lives of men.
This demonic entity or Succubus seduces men and possesses them. She usually appears as a tall beautiful, topless woman with the legs of a goat. Other people say she turns into an ugly hag before possessing you. The possessed become impotent, unhygienic and depressed. If you’re ever alone and you hear the sounds of rusty chains dragging on the ground, you know Aisha Kandisha is nearby.
Locals say she lives under the rivers and around bodies of water. Some people claim to see her reflection as they look in the river.
Wow. I really hope that the version of Kandisha that Bustillo and Maury have brought to the screen is the topless woman with the legs of a goat. That would be quite an awesome, horrific sight.
KANDISHA was produced by Delphine Clot and Guillaume Lemans for Esprits Frappeurs alongside Wassim Béji of WY Productions. SND and Scope Pictures co-produced. The project was pre-purchased by Canal+ and was supported by Wallimage. French distribution and international sales rights are in the hands of SND.
I'm looking forward to hearing more about KANDISHA and when we'll get a chance to see it. I was blown away by Bustillo and Maury's debut film INSIDE, but wasn't so impressed by LEATHERFACE and haven't seen their films LIVID and AMONG THE LIVING yet. The pair also contributed a segment to the anthology ABCs OF DEATH 2.