DEVOT

Synopsis

Henry sees what he believes to be a prostitute on the bridge. He propositions Anja, and although his shrewd perceptions immediately tell him that she is not what she appears to be, he is intrigued and brings her back to his studio. Anja continues to play the prostitute, but is quickly put on the defensive as Henry sharply confronts her. He is like a vampire that needs to feed on her inner turmoil, though at the same time compelled by some twisted sense of good to help her. She refuses, however, to give him any insight into her closed world...but the verbal fencing between the two escalates. Anja's demons have given her much power, and prepared to die, she has nothing to lose. Despite their intense war of words they reach a point where they are almost getting along, which resembles more of a cease-fire than an understanding between them. Then, in an opportunistic moment, Anja steals his wallet and runs ...only to be captured by Henry at the door. He angrily straps her into a chair, helpless, fills her purse with drugs and threatens her by calling the police. He promises to call off the threat if she tells him a story. As her arrogance seemingly deflates into fear, Anja begins with the story of Lilly, a girl who after being raped, runs away from home and gets murdered. Henry releases Anja and calls off the police threat. He believes that Lilly's story is really Anja's, and the story's ending is just her death wish. Anja becomes even more erratic in her behavior, and Henry more frustrated and impatient. He wants her to go, but it seems that now spurred on by some secret evil, she has a reason to stay... Their power struggle intensifies. The line between fantasy and reality, already blurred, disappears altogether when Anja accuses Henry of trying to kill her. Exhausted at this point, his confidence and power partially broken, Henry's memory as to what has really taken place wavers. Unable to rid himself of this exasperating problem, Henry's out-of-control spiral downward into Anja's schizophrenia is not yet over...