Midnight Screenings 2015 / The Witch / USA, Canada 2015
The wild New England woods, the 17th century. A five-member family is trying to build a new life in the harsh environment of unfettered nature. But darkness surreptitiously begins to surround them: their newborn son vanishes, the goat milk turns to blood, and unexplained incidents start to upset their lives. They are now afraid someone is using witchcraft on them…
The year is 1630. A devout family is expelled from a community of settlers and has to build a new life in the desolate forests of New England. But their determined efforts to create a safe haven in an inhospitable environment do not bring them the outcome they desire. The mysterious disappearance of a new-born child, who vanishes literally in the blink of an eye, is just the start of a series of mishaps the family has to endure. Are they are under some kind of curse? Is it a mere coincidence, a devious plot contrived by a supernatural being living in the surrounding woods, or is their daughter a victim of sorcery? This raw and uncommonly atmospheric film, which met with a rapturous reception and won the prestigious Directing Award at this year’s Sundance festival, leaves viewers stunned as they continue to relive the family’s hardships. The work’s impact is further enhanced by the filmmakers’ decision to piece the dialogue together from the authentic language of period myths and legends. This devastating cinematic experience, relying on a gradual yet stifling oppressiveness, will overcome even the most seasoned cinephile.
Hubert Poul
90 min / Color, DCP
International premiere
Director Robert Eggers
/ Screenplay Robert Eggers
/ Dir. of Photography Jarin Blaschke
/ Music Mark Korven
/ Editor Louise Ford
/ Art Director Craig Lathrop
/ Producer Jay Van Hoy, Daniel Bekerman, Rodrigo Teixeira
/ Production Parts and Labor
/ Cast Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie
/ Contact CinemArt, a.s.
Robert Eggers hails from Brooklyn. To date he has worked as a production designer in film, television, publishing and the theatre. He previously directed numerous classic stage plays, including Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Othello, and Goethe’s Faust. His short films have won a series of awards; the best known include a distinctive adaptation of the classic fairy tale Hansel and Gretel (2007), a film reminiscent of the Edgar Allan Poe story The Tell-Tale Heart (2008), and a variation on the biblical story of Cain and Abel entitled Brothers (2013), which last year led influential Filmmaker Magazine to include him among the top 25 most talented new faces of independent film. His feature-length debut The Witch (2015) proved a sensation this year at its world premiere at Sundance.
CinemArt, a.s.
Národní 60/28, 111 21, Praha 1
Czech Republic
Phone: +420 224 949 110
E-mail: [email protected]
Robert Eggers
Marek Jeníček
Distributor, Producer
Aleš Tříska
Distributor, Producer
Aleš Danielis
Distributor
Jaroslav Kutheil
Distributor
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