The human body is an instrument, of sorts: whether a robust, strong or very precise one, it can be any of these when needed. It is also a resource that can be depleted over time. However, one thing is certain: the body keeps score of everything, as it accumulates and reflects all of the physical or psychological stress that an individual has had to endure. This much is true in the case of the eponymous protagonist of Magdalena Chmielewska’s debut feature, Teresa’s Body, which, after a world premiere and a win for Best Director at the Max Ophüls Film Festival (see the news), now opens on its home turf of Austria at the Diagonale.

The story takes us to Poland, where the title character (played by the filmmaker’s mother, Teresa Chmielewska) lives, feeling uncomfortable in her ageing body. The pain in her legs and back is also a reflection of the life she has led and, at least to a certain extent, wasted. Teresa is about to lose the car park she manages, still trespasses on the property that once belonged to her former husband and is dumped by her newest partner while she is in Berlin attempting to hold down a caregiving job, which proves to be futile because of a misunderstanding.

One of her daughters, Ola (Aleksandra Chmielewska-Grzegorzek, the filmmaker’s sister), is busy dealing with her own life and her own children, while the other one, Magda (played by the filmmaker herself), can only visit for a short while, as she has an interview scheduled in an attempt to secure Austrian citizenship in Vienna, where she lives. Magda’s arrival restarts the cycle of role-playing between the mother and daughter, where the former is always nagging while the latter is the caring one whose efforts will always fall short. It also reveals the cracks in Teresa’s carefully arranged façade (she often wears camouflage-coloured tops) of having control over her life, or at least fighting to regain it. Also, in a parallel, dream-like or possibly even nightmarish realm, we get to see two twin girls who play, pray and repeat the patterns inherent in Teresa’s daughters’ family dynamics, through mantra-like chants.

The foundation of Chmielewska’s film might be “documentary”, as it leans on characters from within her own family and their experiences, but the deeper development we witness is not just cleverly scripted; it’s also quite artful and atmospheric. One of the reasons for this is Chmielewska’s writing and directing, as she always lands upon the right detail to pull to the forefront and knows when to switch focus. Also, her crew has done some top-notch work, as cinematographer Zuza Kernbach captures body-part details and imperfections, as well as a sense of ageing and fatigue, in perfectly executed close-ups; editor Anna Garncarczyk dictates the rhythm in successions of abrupt cuts and longer, more pensive takes; and the work on the soundscape by sound designer Karim Weth steers the atmosphere almost into genre territory, verging on mystery and even “soft” horror.

Another one of the movie’s assets is Chimielewska’s work with the characters and the actors. Both the character of Teresa and the highly natural, instinctive acting of Teresa Chmielewska are a unique and praiseworthy part of the collective mother-daughter effort. The story they tell remains personal but also becomes universal, as Teresa’s body could be a stand-in for any ageing body that harbours a mind and soul beaten down by life.

Teresa’s Body is an Austrian production independently produced by Camille Chanel, Magdalena Chmielewska and Sylwia Szczechowicz-Warszewska. Sixpackfilm handles the world sales.