Guido Tölke, Julia Dordel • Director of and actress in The Bitter Taste
“Instead of the typical roles written for women, these characters are ones you’d usually expect men to play”
by Teresa Vena
- We sat down with the director and the actress, who is also the film’s producer, to talk about their ambition to make a movie with international appeal and about their inspiration
Guido Tölke and Julia Dordel are the originators of an intriguing horror-thriller made in Germany. The Bitter Taste [+see also:
interview: Guido Tölke, Julia Dordel
film profile] was world-premiered last November at the London FrightFest. It will be released in national cinemas in 2025, courtesy of the movie's production company, Dorcon Film. We spoke to the director and the actress, who is also the film’s producer, about their ambition to make a movie with international appeal and about their inspiration.
Cineuropa: Where did the inspiration for the story come from?
Guido Tölke: It all started with a conversation between us and an old friend. We’ve been watching horror films together since we were kids, and one day, our friend mentioned Julia’s background in sports. He asked if it wouldn’t be an exciting challenge to build a story around a modern pentathlon. The pentathlon represents the five skills a medieval courier needed to fight his way through enemy lines – running, swimming, fencing, shooting and horseback riding. That sparked the idea for a survival story where these disciplines become a fight for life and death.
Your countess brings to mind the real-life Hungarian countess Báthory. What fascinated you about her?
Julia Dordel: We started with the well-known legend of Countess Elizabeth Báthory, famously imprisoned in her castle, rather than being executed. But then we asked ourselves, “What if she didn’t die there?” That led us to imagine her fleeing to an isolated region in Eastern Germany. By blending historical elements with speculative fiction, we reimagined Báthory not as a relic of the past, but rather as an undead figure whose gruesome practices persist in modern times. This allowed us to deepen the horror of our story, but also to explore the themes of power, immortality and the lengths people might go to in order to preserve their strength and youth. It added a thrilling “what if” element to the tale.
What do you like about the horror/thriller genre so much?
JD: Honestly, I’m scared of horror films! I can’t even watch a thriller in which the characters are sneaking around – I’m the one hiding under the table. But co-writing one was a completely different story. Writing horror is so much fun, and filming it is even better. There’s something quite enjoyable about playing with extremes during the creative process. It’s like stepping into a completely different world where you can experiment, go over the top and not take yourself too seriously.
Your cast is predominantly female. How did you develop the different characters?
GT: We always knew we wanted a female lead from the beginning. Once we had developed the backstory and incorporated the omnipresent theme of the number five – rooted in the five disciplines of the modern pentathlon – it naturally led us to the symbol of the pentagram. In our story, it symbolises the five disciplines, but historically, the pentagram has also been a strong feminine symbol in various cultures. This connection inspired us to create a “sisterhood of evil” as the main antagonists.
JD: We wanted to give women who are often invisible on screen – or who are reduced to playing mothers and wives – strong, dominant roles. In The Bitter Taste, the leads are women in their forties and fifties, which is not that common in film. And they’re far from stereotypical. Instead of the typical roles written for women, these characters are ones you’d usually expect men to play. What’s interesting is that in real life, the kind of strength, authority and complexity we’ve written into these roles would absolutely be embodied by women. So, it felt natural to craft characters that reflect that reality and bring them to the forefront of the story. It was important to challenge the norms [in film] and show that women, regardless of their age, can command the screen in powerful, unexpected ways.
You are clearly trying to address an international audience. What were the most important elements in the effort to achieve that?
GT: One of the most important elements was ensuring the film’s look and style stood apart from the typical “German television” aesthetic. We focused heavily on creating a cinematic visual language that would feel atmospheric, polished and international. This included a strong emphasis on low-key lighting, detailed production design and a timeless, gothic-inspired aesthetic. Additionally, we paid close attention to the pacing, tone and storytelling. Genre audiences worldwide expect a certain intensity and visual flair, so we crafted a visually striking and suspenseful experience, using fast editing, creative camera angles and atmospheric settings.
JD: From the start, we’d always intended to film in English. The English-speaking audience is much larger and more engaged with genre films like ours, whereas the German market for genre flicks isn’t as strong. Shooting in English allowed us to aim for a broader, more international reach while staying true to the tone and style we had envisioned.
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