New body horror 'Birth' turns fertility retreat into a terrifying nightmare

Oskar Lehemaa's 'Birth' blends pregnancy horror and Estonian folklore in a new English-language body horror film

Estonian filmmaker Oskar Lehemaa has introduced his first English-language feature, Birth, a body horror film that combines pregnancy themes with Estonian folklore.

The project was presented at the Frontières Co-Production Market and has secured support from the Tallifornia Film Fund.

Birth follows Carl and Emma, a couple struggling to conceive after years of unsuccessful attempts. Before turning to IVF, they attend an isolated fertility retreat hidden deep within an Estonian forest. What begins as a final chance to start a family soon transforms into a nightmare when the retreat's ancient rituals reveal a sinister sacrificial tradition.

Speaking about the film, Lehemaa said the Estonian forest was a natural setting for a story centred on pregnancy, describing it as a place filled with life while also providing the atmosphere needed for folk horror. He added that the film explores the contrast between the miracle of childbirth and its more unsettling physical realities, while also examining traditional gender expectations surrounding parenthood.

The feature is being produced by Stellar Film's Evelin Penttilä and Johanna Maria Tamm. The producers are also in discussions with partners in Scandinavia and Ireland as they pursue an international co-production strategy aimed at expanding the film's global reach.

Birth will reunite Lehemaa with horror after his Sundance-selected short Bad Hair and follows his work on the stop-motion comedy The Old Man Movie. The feature will also mark his first collaboration with Estonian cinematographer Elen Lotman, with the filmmakers aiming to blend carefully composed visuals with a more fluid shooting style.

According to the production team, Birth is being developed as a high-profile European genre film with ambitions to premiere at major international festivals before securing worldwide distribution.