The film “Touched” by director Claudia Rorarius was screened at Locarno Film Festival 2023 in the Concorso Cineasti del presente program and was introduced as a love story about a forbidden romance, “celebrating diverse bodies and breaking taboos”. On 12th of august the lead actors Ísold Halldórudóttir and Stavros Zafeiris won the Pardo for Best Performance.

“Touched” is a truly appalling film that fails on pretty much every level imaginable. The premise alone is deeply disturbing – a story about an obese nurse taking advantage of a paralyzed patient and ultimately strangling him is not only distasteful but also morally repugnant. The film seems to revel in its shock value, attempting to capitalize on the sensationalism of its subject matter rather than engaging in any meaningful storytelling. 

The explicit scenes scattered throughout the film look like the most despicable porn-videos on PornHub and serve no purpose other than to shock and titillate, contributing nothing to the plot or character development. It’s as if the filmmakers were more interested in pushing the boundaries of decency rather than creating a coherent and thought-provoking narrative, this reliance on shock tactics only underscores the film’s lack of substance. 

The technical aspects of the film are equally disappointing; the cinematography is boring, with poorly framed shots and lackluster camera work. The unconvincing acting further drags down the film, with performances that lack depth and authenticity. It’s difficult to become emotionally invested in characters who come across as caricatures rather than real individuals. 

Perhaps the most distressing aspect of “Touched” is its complete lack of artistic integrity. The film appears to be nothing more than the twisted imaginings of a sick mind, exploiting taboo subjects for shock value without offering any substantive exploration of themes or ideas. Instead of delving into spirituality or offering any meaningful insight, the director chooses to wallow in the lowest forms of human behavior.  

In conclusion, “Touched” is a repulsive and offensive film that offers nothing of value to its audience. Its exploitative nature, explicit scenes, poor technical execution, and absence of meaningful storytelling make it a prime example of how not to approach filmmaking. This film is a stain on the industry and the film festival that screened it and is an insult to the intelligence of its viewers. What else can we expect after that? Necrophilia, romance with a corpse or zoophilia? 

“Touched” reaches a new low by not only presenting a morally reprehensible narrative but also by exploiting the human body for fetishistic purposes. The film’s decision to portray the bodies in the most explicit, unattractive and fetishized manner adds another layer of distaste to an already offensive storyline. 

Raping the defenseless invalid by a nurse who has professional and legal obligations is a criminal case which should not be presented as “forbidden love”.  

Using the characters’ physical appearances as objects of fetishism not only further dehumanizes them but also raises serious ethical concerns.  

Rather than exploring deeper themes, emotions, or psychological complexities, the film seems content to exploit the characters solely for shock and discomfort.  

Promoting or glorifying harmful behaviors, especially those involving violence, abuse, or exploitation, is not only morally unacceptable but also has the potential to perpetuate harmful ideology.