One of the great lost classics of folk horror, this 1952 Finnish movie is an eerie, utterly otherworldly dark fairytale set on the desolate, snowbound fells of Sápmi (Lapland).

Pirita, a spirited woman who chafes against her lonely existence as the wife of a roaming reindeer herder, seeks to alleviate her desperate need for affection and ignite marital passion with the help of a local shaman. But, due to her own innate magical powers, his love ritual goes wrong and transforms her into a primal, vampiric shapeshifter, cursed to hunt and consume men in the form of a white reindeer.

'A must-see for horror completists, and one of the few films to explore Sami folkloric traditions.'
TV Guide

Written by Mirjami Kuosmanen, who also gives an utterly captivating central performance as Pirita, The White Reindeer was the directorial debut of her husband, distinguished cinematographer Erik Blomberg. Shot in brightly lit monochrome almost entirely on location in the wilderness, the film contrasts the blinding whiteout of the snow with pitch-black Gothic tableaux and combines stunning, almost documentary, depictions of daily Sámi life with an intense avant-garde experimentation that channels silent-movie expressionists like F.W. Murnau and Fritz Lang. With minimal dialogue - more than half of the film is essentially silent cinema - its ominous and sparse score runs throughout the entire film. Its existential terrors are conjured up with little in the way of special effects; chiaroscuro techniques bring to life the emotional conflict within Pirita.

Loosely based upon an old Nordic folk tale, The White Reindeer mines pre-Christian Finnish lore and Sámi shamanism, imbuing the film with a rich folk element. Like Jacques Tourneur's Cat People (1942) and Neil Jordan's The Company Of Wolves (1984), the film uses the motif of animal transformation to explore the denial and policing of female sexuality by repressive societal traditions and stereotypical gender roles. Although it earned the Jean Cocteau-led jury special award for Best International Fairy Tale Film at the 1953 Cannes Film Festival - the only film to have ever been given this award - and later won the 1956 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film, it was largely forgotten until a gorgeous restoration was issued in 2017.

★★★★☆
Radio Times

'A remarkable, beautiful, and compelling film that is fascinatingly rooted in Lapland mythology and Sámi practices.'
9/10: Starburst Magazine

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The CUBE Of Wyrding is the CUBE Microplex's ongoing transnational folk horror/urban frights cinema series. It showcases the best in rural folk horror and urban wyrd films, including classics, lesser-known greats, and freaky oddities from the margins, and delves into the darker recesses of the genre. It additionally features silent films brought to life with spectacular live musical accompaniments, lively screen talks, and opportunities to immerse yourself in obscure horror soundtracks.

Venue doors open 30 minutes before the advertised start time. All film screenings are ad-free and 18+ unless otherwise stated and start with no more than a 10-minute curated selection of trailers.

The Cube is a membership venue; please remember to bring your card. You can join at the door for £1 (life membership).