Directed by Otakar Vávra • 1970 • Czechoslovakia
Starring Vladimír Šmeral, Elo Romančík, Josef Kemr
Cowritten by Ester Krumbachová and director Otakar Vávra, this unsettling parable uses seventeenth-century religious hysteria as a potent allegory for the repressive political climate of Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia. In the 1670s in Moravia, the ruthless inquisitor Boblig von Edelstadt (a real historical figure, played by Vladimír Šmeral) stages a series of sensational witch trials, using persecution, torture, and terror to force women to confess to devil worship. When a local priest (Elo Romančík) speaks out against von Edelstadt, he finds himself caught up in the rapidly escalating frenzy.
Up Next in Ester Krumbachová: Phantom of the Czechoslovak New Wave
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Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Directed by Jaromil Jireš • 1970 • Czechoslovakia
Starring Jaroslava Schallerová, Helena Anyžová, Petr KoprivaA girl on the verge of womanhood finds herself in a sensual fantasyland of vampires, witchcraft, and other threats in this eerie and mystical movie daydream. VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WON...
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Naughty Young People: Chytilová, Kuče...
This 2012 documentary by Daniel Bird describes the extraordinary collaboration among three artists at the height of their powers: director Věra Chytilová, cinematographer Jaroslav Kučera, and screenwriter Ester Krumbachová.
