Film
The Juniper Tree
Virtual
Dir. Nietzchka Keene | 1990, 78min
With Björk, Bryndis Petra Bragadóttir, Valdimar Örn Flygenring, Guðrún Gísladóttir, Geirlaug Sunna Þormar
This underseen 1990 gem, set in medieval Iceland and featuring a riveting performance by a 21-year-old Björk in her feature film debut, has been compared to Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Day of Wrath and Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring, filled with indelible waking dream sequences courtesy of legendary experimental filmmaker Pat O’Neill. Photographed entirely on location in the stunning landscapes of Iceland in spectacular black-and-white, Nietzchka Keene’s deeply atmospheric film tells the story of sisters Margit (Björk) and Katla (Bragadóttir), who flee for safety when their mother is burned to death for witchcraft. They manage to find shelter and protection with Johan and his resentful young son Jonas, but their impromptu family unit is soon strained by Katla’s burgeoning sorcery. A potent allegory for misogyny and its attendant tragedies, The Juniper Tree is a major rediscovery for art house audiences.
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