One of Spain’s most idiosyncratic and talented film-makers, Julio Medem makes a welcome return with Chaotic Ana, which, as is usual with this director’s work, is bound to baffle and delight in equal measure. Eighteen-year-old Ana (Manuela Velles), an artistic naif, is lured from the cave in which she lives with her father by a mysterious patron (Charlotte Rampling) to attend art school in Madrid. Exposed to the outside world and first love, Ana begins to suffer terrifying visions. With the aid of a hypnotist, she discovers that she has lived before, numerous times, reaching back over a millennium, each time dying tragically at the age of 22. Infused with the wisdom and maturity of her past lives, Ana searches for her purpose, finally becoming a heroine. In many ways a deeply personal film (Ana was inspired by Medem’s own sister, a painter killed in a road accident), Chaotic Ana is a stunningly lush, challenging yet deeply rewarding work from a true auteur.—Kevin Coyne.