Directed by Ester Krumbachová • 1970 • Czechoslovakia

Ester Krumbachová was the hidden mastermind behind the Czech New Wave, contributing costumes, set design, and screenplays for some of the most celebrated films of the era. This new restoration of her sole directorial effort shines a fresh light on her sadly underutilised talents behind the camera. Murdering the Devil is a surreal, feminist fairy tale, in which an unnamed woman (Jiřina Bohdalová), desperate for companionship, begins wooing the gluttonous boor Theodore Devil (Vladimír Menšík) – only to find that his appetites extend well beyond her roast goose and dumplings. Krumbachová revels in the grotesqueries of both male and female fragility, her ornamental visual stylings on full display, in this cult classic ripe for rediscovery.

MURDERING THE DEVIL • VRAŽDA ING. ČERTA
Directed by Ester Krumbachová
Written by Ester Krumbachová and Jan Němec
Cinematography by Jiří Macák
Music by Angelo Michajlov
Starring: Jiřina Bohdalová, Vladimír Menšík

In Czech with English subtitles