Juniper Tree

The Juniper Tree (known in Spain and Argentina as When we were witches), is a dramatic film and 1990 Icelandic fantasy, shot in black and white and directed by Nietzchka Keene.

The film stars singer-songwriter Björk alongside Bryndis Petra Bragadóttir and Godrun S. Gisladóttir. Although The Juniper Tree was made and performed by Icelanders, the film was shot in English to reach a wider audience.

Synopsis

The plot of it is about two sisters who have run away from their home in Iceland after having survived the death of their mother, who had been burned at the stake accused of practicing witchcraft. The film focuses on the story of the two witch sisters: Katla and Margit – with Margit being the good witch. On her way, Katla bewitches Jóhann, a peasant widower who has a son, Jónas. The spell makes Jóhann fall in love with Katla and then get married, but Jónas sees Katla's intentions and tries to convince her father to leave her. On the other hand, Margit's mother, who wants to help Jónas, appears in visions of her and gives her an amulet to protect the boy, and together they fight to get rid of Katla.

Cast

• Björk Guðmundsdóttir as Margit
• Bryndis Petra Bragadóttir as Katla
• Guðrún Gísladóttir as the mother of Margit and Katla
• Valdimar Örn Flygenring as Jóhann
• Geirlaug Sunna Τormar as Jónas

Production

Principal photography took place in 1986 in Iceland on a low budget. It was shot in black and white to highlight its dramatic content and as a resource to place the story in the Middle Ages. Some scenes were filmed at the Reynisfjara basalt columns and the Seljalandsfoss waterfall on the south coast of Iceland.

Reception

Critical reception On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 100% based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 7.80/10. On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 86 out of 100, based on 6 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".