“For me, Petrol is a film about a young woman’s search of self, the strange line between self and others, the vulnerability of youth. At a time of change and discovery, when one readily loses oneself in other people, the delicate line between reality and imagination can become blurred.” – writer/director Alena Lodkina.

Following her buzzed-about debut feature, Strange Colours (2017), Petrol follows Eva (Nathalie Morris), a film student of Russian background (like the writer/director), who befriends performance artist Mia (Hannah Lynch). As they move in together, “their lives grow more and more entwined, Eva sets off on a surreal journey of awakening, haunted by dreams, fantasies and ghosts.”

Petrol is set to premiere in Australia at the upcoming Melbourne International Film Festival on August 11, but before then it will unveil internationally at the Locarno International Film Festival in the Cineasti del Presente section on August 5. “Petrol is the first Australian feature film to play in competition at Locarno since Clara Law’s Floating Life in 1996, and the first to be selected for this prestigious section, so it is a real honour,” said producer Kate Laurie. “We couldn’t be more pleased with this premiere, especially following the challenges of shooting the film during Melbourne’s 2021 lockdowns.”

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