Charli XCX Secretly Filmed Leading Role in ‘Erupcja’ During ‘Brat Summer,' Premiering at TIFF

Charli XCX is making her film debut.

The British singer will lead Erupcja — the Polish word for “eruption” — which follows a Polish florist (played by Lena Góra) and a British tourist (Charli) rekindling a uniquely combustible chemistry over the course of a few days. It’s set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 4.

Erupcja was secretly shot in Warsaw, Poland, last summer, during the viral success of XCX's Brat album. The film is directed by Pete Ohs, known for his independent work and directing music videos for artists like Magdalena Bay, Best Coast and Wavves. The ensemble cast includes Will Madden and Jeremy O. Harris.

The “360” hitmaker co-wrote and co-produced the film alongside Góra, Ohs Madden and O. Harris.

Charli recently told Filmmaker Magazine that she was instantly intrigued by the film. “I was hooked from the jump, and I just thought it sounded like a really fun and unique project,” she shared. “I’ve always liked to approach my creative endeavors in a way that feels truly unique, and this definitely felt like that.”

She revealed that her character, Bethany, has similarities to indie pop singer Clairo, with whom Charli is friends. “We kept bringing Clairo into the mix when we were thinking about who Bethany was, which is funny, because, as a musician, she’s sort of like the complete opposite to who I am as a musician,” she said.

While Brat summer was in full force, Ohs recalled to Variety that he almost thought the project wouldn’t move forward — but Charli made it work.

“I looked at her website: it said the world tour was starting in September, and she told me she was going to be free in August,” he told the publication. “I messaged her and she said: ‘I’ll be there.’ It was a miracle, really.” The appeal was propelled by filming in Poland, as opposed to Los Angeles.

“The fact that she took 10 days off to come to Poland in the middle of it all is really wild, but also very cool,” Ohs shared. During filming, Oh said they managed to move through the city with minimal interruptions from the public.

“There was one scene with Will and Charli in a restaurant. We were there for a few hours. The second I put my camera down and said, ‘We got it,’ everyone around us stood up and got in line to get pictures with Charli. It’s not like nobody noticed, but the city was very accommodating and friendly.”

There’s no doubt that the Grammy Award-winning singer is keeping busy with films this year. She’s part of the cast of the action-adventure comedy Sacrifice, which will have its world premiere in the Special Presentations section at TIFF.

With files from Stefano Rebuli