Barlebas

Shot in contrasting black and white, Barlebas shows the hysteria surrounding witch trials in the late Middle Ages. It is 1595 when the free-spirited Heylken is accused of practising witchcraft. According to her fellow villagers, the self-conscious woman allegedly ‘danced with the devil’ and is subsequently sentenced to death. But while the community considers Heylken a grave danger, the young Griet draws inspiration from Heylken’s liberated character and powerful voice. Is this admiration a harbinger of more enlightened times?