Live accompaniment for the silent film by Anna Murphy and keynote speech by Prof. Dr. Susanna Burghartz
The silent film HÄXAN (1922) by Benjamin Christensen combines documentary, essay and horror. Using medieval illustrations, he shows how superstition and fear led to the hunt of witches in the Middle Ages and spread like an epidemic: anyone could accuse others of carrying out harmful spells, for example, and bring them directly to the Inquisition. In the film, dramatic game scenes also recreate witches' sabbaths, visions of the devil as well as perfidious interrogations and cruel methods of torture. With historical facts and a connection to the state of psychiatric knowledge of his time, Christensen sets the narrative guidelines in his documentary film. He interprets witchcraft as an early explanation for mental illness and social anxiety — and indirectly criticizes religious fanaticism.
At the time of its release, HÄXAN (WITCHES) was one of the most expensive Scandinavian films. Because of the depiction of nudity, torture and satanic images, the film was censored or banned in many countries. It was not until 1968 that a version of the film was released with the commentary by American writer William S. Burroughs.
Anna Murphy is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer. She is primarily at home in folk, progressive rock & metal, but also makes experimental music as a solo artist. Anna is creating a live soundscape especially for the silent film HÄXAN at BRUGGGORE 2026, which will celebrate the world premiere at the film festival.
«Switzerland carried out the first witch trials», says historian Prof. Dr. Susanna Burghartz, whose research focuses on women and gender history. After the film, she will give a short keynote speech and we can ask the expert everything we always wanted to know about witches.
