Ep. 4: The Wicked Witch of the East(ern Europe): Witches in film

In this episode of (Un)box the Soap Podcast, we voyage into the obscure territories of the Eastern European folk horror genre. We discuss three films from countries that no longer exist: the Soviet Viy (1967), the Yugoslavian Leptirica (1973), and the Czechoslovak Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970).

Continuing our witchy fascinations from the last episode, we explore how feminine representation lies at the core of these films, analyzing how witchcraft and vampirism are used to either punish women for their sexuality or liberate them from patriarchal constraints. We also examine themes of rurality, spirituality, and propaganda, questioning how they shape our reading of these stories. Finally, we tackle the ethics of filmmaking and how to engage with older films that may now seem problematic.

So, hop on your broom and join us in these enchanted explorations!

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses scenes from the films that depict rape and pedophilia.

Call for poems: If you’re interested in contributing to our next episode, focused on poetry/texts created in the surroundings of Flixbuses, email us at soapboxpodcast2024@gmail.com.

Films discussed in this episode:

Leptirica (1973), dir. Đorđe Kadijević

Morgiana (1972), dir. Juraj Herz

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970), dir. Jaromil Jireš

Viy (1967), dir. Konstantin Yershov, Georgi Kropachyov

Other sources:

Edgar, Robert, and Wayne Johnson. The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror. Routledge, 2023.

Scovell, Adam. Folk Horror: Hours Dreadful and Things Strange. Liverpool University Press, 2017. 

Cinema Infernal - Folk Horror: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18JMJLDAjZ/.