Don't worry if you feel like you've fallen down a rabbit hole or labyrinth. That's exactly what Petrol wants. This film is willing to be ambiguous from beginning to end, paying close attention to the subtle and unfamiliar senses and blithely casting a curious glance. Even the most mundane routine can be filled with mystery if you accept that everything can be a sign of something else. Russian-born Australian-raised director Alena Rodkina has revealed that she was inspired by ghost stories in the Gothic horror genre, including Edgar Allan Poe, Henry James, Yakumo Kozumi's Ghost Story (1904), and Nadezhda Kosheverova's Cinderella (1947), preparing for her second feature Petrol. Could this be a hint? Eva, a film student working on a documentary, is strongly drawn to Mia, a woman she crosses paths with. Mia appears out of nowhere and can do magical things even with a wink. Eva feels a subtle feeling for Mia and renews her approach to her current and future projects while she meets herself. Magical realism seaves classic filmmaking and creative self-discovery themes into a spooky, playful mood. [JEONG Jihye]