Akelarre (2020)

August 31, 2021 1:07 PM

Movie also known as Coven of Sisters. Basque Country, 1609. The men of the region are at sea and Amaia takes part for the first time in the nightly dances in the woods with the other villager girls. She is only 20. At dawn, they are all arrested.
posted by ruben (2 comments total)

I watched this last night, having become aware of it thanks to this post. I don't usually watch foreign language movies because I like to knit or do other needlework when watching movies and it's difficult to read subtitles when I'm doing that, but last night I was working on an easy piece of knitting that I barely had to look at, and this movie was very much in my wheelhouse (I love anything to do with witches), so I watched it.

I was glad I did. The story of those spirited teenaged girls fighting for their lives with everything they've got made for a compelling watch, and the movie is beautifully shot.

I guess the idea is they might have survived the drop at the end, because the tide was high, and if they could then hide until their fathers came home, they'd be saved...? I'd like to think so anyway.
posted by orange swan at 8:02 AM on September 2, 2021 [1 favorite]

I also discovered this movie because of this post, and everything else orange swan said.

One bit of dialogue really got me: Ana "confesses" to dancing and the inquisitor immediately asks if she was dancing for Satan. She looks baffled because dancing is something she does for her own amusement and the inquisitor literally cannot imagine a woman doing something just...for herself. For fun's own sake. With absolutely no relationship to a man's gaze. When I read The Crucible in high school I couldn't understand all the "And they did dance?!" but now...wow. Yeah.
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 5:49 PM on September 3, 2021