Tuvalu is a pretty weird film. It’s definitely inspired by old silent expressionist films– Barely anyone speaks in it, the scenes play out in a variety of sepia tones, and the expressions everyone takes are hyper-exaggerated– but it’s the plot points that can feel cryptic and loopy for some viewers, considering the wacky ways Anton improvises some quick fixes for the pool. It’s because of this that the film won’t be for everyone. However, cinephiles looking for something outside the mainstream fare might enjoy Tuvalu, because the strange plot is depicted through interesting frames shot in the beautiful sets of the dilapidated pool, in a unique style that most viewers would rarely see today. Tuvalu is eccentric, but it’s not bad, and no one can deny its originality.

The thing is, after everything, I can’t help but think about the plot. Should it be a triumph that the entire town pitched in to help maintain the illusion of a thriving bath house to the old blind man? Given the quick fixes and the fact no one’s even going there, should the bath house even still stand? Or, should the bathhouse’s end be on their own terms? I can’t say.