Reclaiming the Witch

Reclaiming the Witch

Season

Please note : this season finished in Nov 2018

"To reclaim the word ‘witch’ is to reclaim our right, as women, to be powerful. To be a witch is to identify with 9 million victims of bigotry and hatred and to take responsibility for shaping a world in which prejudice claims no more victims." – Starhawk, The Spiral Dance (1979)

The witching hour is upon us this November as we welcome a season of films and talks that celebrate the witch. We invite you to explore the many faces of the witch on film - no longer banished to caves, woods and deserted islands, this is our chance to explore and reclaim cinema's celluloid sorceresses.

Fall under the spell of a veritable cinematic coven: from The Wizard of Oz's iconic Wicked Witch of the West, to The Witches' terrifying Grand High Witch, I Am Not a Witch's little 9-year-old Shula to the witch in training of Kiki's Delivery Service and even Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer giving it their all in The Witches of Eastwick, there's more witchy fun than you can shake a broomstick at.

Want to delve a bit deeper into the witch on screen and look at the inner workings of a character that has captivated and intrigued filmmakers and audiences a like for decades? Don't miss our Exploring The Witch panel discussion (Sun 4 Nov, 14:00).

This season is curated by Thea Berry, a student at the University of West of England who is splitting her time between UWE and Watershed whilst studying for an MA in Curating, mentored by Mark Cosgrove and the Watershed team.

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Previous screenings & events in this season

Bell, Book and Candle

classified U Reclaiming the Witch
Bell, Book and Candle
Please note: This was screened in Nov 2018
Film

Following the success of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, Kim Novak and James Stewart team up again in this wonderfully wicked alternative to a white Christmas with a bit of the ol’ black magic.

The Witches of Eastwick

classified 18 Reclaiming the Witch
The Witches of Eastwick
Please note: This was screened in Nov 2018
Film

Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon team up to dabble in magic and plot their escape from a devilish stranger (Jack Nicholson) in this gloriously camp exploration of gender politics.

The Love Witch

classified 15 Reclaiming the Witch
The Love Witch
Please note: This was screened in Nov 2018
Film

A spellbinding homage to 1970s sexploitation films and technicolour melodramas of the 1960s.

Kiki's Delivery Service

classified U S Reclaiming the Witch
Kiki's Delivery Service
Please note: This was screened in Nov 2018
Film

This lush fantasy adventure from Hayao Miyazaki follows Kiki, a young witch who must fly off to a faraway city accompanied only by her chatty black cat to live alone for a whole year by using her magical powers.

I am Not a Witch

classified 12A S Reclaiming the Witch
I am Not a Witch
Please note: This was screened in Nov 2018
Film

The beautiful and strange debut from Zambian-born Wales-raised writer/director Rungano Nyoni is an African satire about beliefs in sorcery, revolving around a 9 year old who is accused of being a witch.

The Witch

classified 15 Reclaiming the Witch
The Witch
Please note: This was screened in Nov 2018
Film

This insidiously scary debut from writer-director Robert Eggers is a gripping historical horror-thriller hybrid about a Puritanical family in 17th Century New England fallen prey to an ancient evil in the woods that surrounds them. One of the most unnerving films in recent years.

Exploring the Witch panel discussion
Please note: This event took place in Nov 2018
Talk

Join Tara Judah, Watershed’s Cinema Producer, as she chairs a panel discussion which delves into the inner workings of a character who has captivated and intrigued filmmakers and audiences alike for decades: the witch.

The Witches

classified PG Reclaiming the Witch
The Witches
Please note: This was screened in Nov 2018
Film

Luke discovers that a coven of witches are planning to turn all children in England into mice - starting with him - in Nicolas Roeg's dark and witty retelling of Dahl's tale.

The Wizard of Oz

classified U Reclaiming the Witch
The Wizard of Oz
Please note: This was screened in Nov 2018
Film

Kicking off the Reclaiming the Witch season, join us this for this classic to celebrate one of the most iconic witches in cinema: The Wicked Witch of the West.

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