Butter on the Latch

Sarah steps away from her dance performance and takes a phone call from a friend who claims she woke up in an unfamiliar place surrounded by strange people and cannot recall how she got there. The revelation leaves Sarah unsettled and anxious for her friend's safety. She urges her friend to try to escape the house.

Some time later, the journey toward a Balkan music camp begins for a few days. As Sarah walks toward the campground, she runs into Isolde, and the two are excited to see each other. The encounter signals the start of their shared experience at the camp.

While brushing their teeth, they catch up on their lives, especially their recent failed romantic relationships. Isolde shares a story about having sex with her masseur at a seedy massage parlor, hinting at her impulsive side.

They attend some of the music classes and meet a few other campers. Isolde finds one guy in particular, Steph, to be very annoying, but Sarah thinks he's cute.

That night Steph dances with someone, but just as they seem to be forming a connection, he abruptly leaves. Sarah finds him outside talking to Isolde.

The next day Sarah runs into Steph again, and they have lunch and attend a music class together. The budding connection continues, but Isolde becomes uneasy as the dynamics between them unfold.

That night Isolde gets drunk, and Sarah offers to walk her back to their cabin. They get lost in the woods, which Isolde blames on Sarah, and she storms off to search for the cabin on her own.

The following day Isolde remains distant, while Sarah continues spending time with Steph. When Sarah invites him to her cabin, he declines, deepening the strain between them.

That night Sarah dreams of Isolde dancing with a group of women in the woods. The dream adds a sense of mystery and emotional tension between the characters.

Isolde's continued distance leads Sarah to ask a teacher about Bulgarian folklore. The teacher explains that sometimes things that are normally good can become evil if inhabited by an evil spirit, offering a chilling interpretation of their experiences.

During a large group song outside, Sarah and Steph sneak off into the wilderness by the river. They begin kissing and undressing, but a noise unsettles Sarah. She pushes Steph into the water and suddenly has visions of herself and Isolde, then finds Steph's body floating face-down.

She stumbles back to the cabin screaming and crying, only to walk in on Steph and Isolde having sex. When she looks again, Isolde is fast asleep. The scene fractures her grip on reality and deepens the confusion.

Isolde comforts her but soon says she wants to just go back to sleep. The moment marks a retreat from the day's turmoil and a surrender to rest.

Sarah wanders back to the large group song still in progress and lies down nearby. She absorbs the music and cries, letting the rhythm carry her through the day’s trauma.