Breathing In

In 1901, as the Second Anglo-Boer War ravages South Africa, a wounded general desperately seeks a place to heal his injuries. Fleeing from the horrors of war, he finds refuge in a modest cabin inhabited by a woman and her young daughter. Seemingly alone in a land scarred by violence and uncertainty, the two women take him in with a kindness that, at first glance, appears generous—but soon reveals an unsettling undertone.

As the general settles in and regains his strength, he begins to notice that something is amiss in the mother and daughter's quiet routine. Their apparent calm and self-sufficiency in such a hostile environment puzzle him. In a region where war has reduced many to misery, these two have managed to survive without the aid of a man or a community. Food is plentiful, the house is impeccably maintained, and—most unsettling of all—the young girl watches him with an unusual intensity, as if she were studying him.

As days pass, the general starts to perceive disturbing signs. The mother’s conversations carefully avoid details of their past, and the girl's games take on a macabre tone, hinting at a knowledge of death far beyond her years. The feeling that something sinister lurks beneath their hospitality becomes impossible to ignore.

In the end, the chilling truth is revealed. These women are not the helpless victims they seemed to be but survivors with a dark secret. Their apparent generosity hides a sinister motive, and the wounded general is not their guest—he is their next prey.

Against the backdrop of a brutal war, where the fight for survival turns anyone into predator or prey, this soldier's story becomes a nightmare that defies expectations. What role will he play in the intricate web of secrets these women have woven? Will he manage to escape before becoming yet another victim of their enigmatic refuge?

Director: Jaco Bouwer

Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller

Cast: Jamie-Lee Money, Lionel Newton, Michele Burgers, Sven Ruygrok