Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)

Awakening to the intrusion of a thief, 13-year-old Valerie discovers her mother's earrings have been taken — a precious memento of her family's past. As the rooster crows, the earrings mysteriously find their way back, marking the dawn of her womanhood with the onset of her first period. This transformation coincides with the arrival of a peculiar troupe and a zealous missionary in her quaint 19th-century town. Orick, the elusive thief, seems to be under the command of a shadowy constable, who might also be masquerading as the newly arrived missionary. The town is abuzz with an unsettling fixation on sexuality — from Valerie's grandmother's stringent moral code, to the missionary's impassioned sermon aimed at the town's young maidens, to the lecherous parish priest with a troubling interest in Valerie, and the lascivious antics of the adult townsfolk. As Valerie stands on the precipice of innocence and experience, her budding sexuality becomes a beacon, drawing danger closer. This treacherous path she must tread is riddled with bloodthirsty vampires, a lurking murderer, and a convoluted family lineage that confounds more than it clarifies. The question remains: can Valerie successfully traverse this perilous rite of passage, unscathed by the darkness that seems to be closing in around her?

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders is an adventure movie featuring Jaroslava Schallerová and directed by Jaromil Jireš.

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders is currently streaming on Criterion Channel and Cultpix.

It is also possible to buy Valerie and Her Week of Wonders on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube.