Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched explores the folk horror phenomenon from its beginnings in a trilogy of films – Michael Reeves’ Witchfinder General (1968), Piers Haggard’s Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971) and Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man (1973) – through its proliferation on British television in the 1970s and its culturally specific manifestations in American, Asian, Australian and European horror, to the genre’s revival over the last decade.
Touching on over 200 films and featuring over 50 interviewees, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched investigates the many ways that we alternately celebrate, conceal and manipulate our own histories in an attempt to find spiritual resonance in our surroundings.
We adore folk horror at Abertoir and this epic documentary was almost guaranteed a spot in our line-up even before we’d seen it. With Kier-La Janisse at the helm it’s no wonder this vital documentary offers not only knowledge but insight to such a beloved subgenre of horror. Where better to immerse yourself in folk horror than the coast of West Wales?
