The Juniper Tree

A feminist version of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same name. As the Brothers Grimm are wont to do in their macabre way, the story involves a toxic family, witchcraft, cannibalism, hallucinations and delirium. The tale of the hardships of two sisters, whose mother—thought to be a witch—is burned by their neighbors, takes place in the volcanic landscape of Iceland. Björk, who was only 21 at the time of production, makes her acting debut. Because of financial problems, The Juniper Tree was shelved and eventually premiered in 1990 when Björk was already the star of the Sugarcubes. This raw, black-and-white film with a mystical soundtrack by Pat O’Neill is a powerful treatise on medieval magic, misogyny and feudal exploitation. The famous Malleus Maleficarum was driven in equal measure by anxiety and hunger. In terms of ideology, Nietzchka Keene’s story is reminiscent of Silvana Federici’s thesis from Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation, which discusses what the witch hunt had in common with early capitalism, the modern world and current forms of discrimination against women. Following Keene’s untimely death, The Juniper Tree became a forgotten masterpiece. We will be screening a restored version.