Mixing documentary and fiction, Häxan explores the history of witches and witchcraft throughout the centuries. The film is divided into several chapters ranging from antiquity to the Middle Ages, with a special emphasis on witch trials and medieval superstitions. With a pioneering approach, Benjamin Christensen uses a combination of historical reconstructions, documentary images and animation to illustrate the connections between witchcraft and religious hysteria.
Benjamin Christensen (Viborg, 1879 - Copenhagen, 1959) was a Danish film director, screenwriter and actor, considered one of the pioneers of silent cinema. Häxan, his most famous work, is a fusion of anthropological research and expressionist stylisation, which influenced horror cinema for generations. Initially controversial and censored for its daring content, the film is now considered a visionary masterpiece of avant-garde cinema.
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