Wednesday, September 2^nd, 2026 I Doors: 7 pm / Start: 8 pm
Silent green, Kuppelhalle, Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin
Presale Tickets 11,20 / 16,50 €  Buy tickets > 
Box office 12/ 17 € 

Heroines of Sound  Festival returns with the opening event of its new season, presenting the rare screening of Nietzchka Keene’s rediscovered masterpiece The Juniper Tree (1990) is a must-see for aficionados of electronic music and arthouse cinema.  

The Juniper Tree (1990) is a long-overlooked arthouse gem and the screen debut of a young Björk. In a unique pre-release live film concert, Midori Hirano unveils her new soundtrack for Nietzchka Keene’s cult arthouse film, reimagining it through piano, electronics and immersive sound.

A dark medieval fairy tale, The Juniper Tree (1990) is a a rediscovered arthouse masterpiece and the screen debut of a young Björk. In this pre-release live film concert, Japanese composer and pianist Midori Hirano presents her newly composed soundtrack, reimagining Nietzchka Keene‘s cult film through piano, electronics, and immersive sound. Combining delicate piano writing with electronic textures and finely balanced sonic spaces, Hirano creates a sensitive dialogue with the poetic imagery of Keene’s haunting film. 

The Juniper Tree follows Margit (Björk, in a riveting performance) and her older sister Katla (Bryndis Petra Bragadottir) as they flee for safety after their mother is burned to death for witchcraft. Finding shelter and protection with Johan (Valdimar Orn Fygenring), and his resentful young son, Jonas (Geirlaug Sunna Pormar), the sisters help form an impromptu family unit that’s soon strained by Katla’s burgeoning sorcery.  Shot in Iceland, the stark black-and-white feature marked the breakthrough of the acclaimed filmmaker, whose visionary career was cut short by her premature death. Weaving together mythology, witchcraft, and female experience, The Juniper Tree remains a powerful reflection on misogyny and patriarchal violence.

The film also marks the stunning first screen appearance of a young Björk. Hirano reimagines the film as a contemporary sound experience, creating a sensitive dialogue with the poetic imagery of US filmmaker Nietzchka Keene (1952–2004), who died prematurely. Shot in Iceland, the stark black-and-white film weaves together mythology, witchcraft, and female experience in a powerful, atmospheric reflection on misogyny and patriarchal violence.

The film concert celebrates its German premiere ahead of the soundtrack release on VIERNULVIER Records, introduced by Wouter Vanhaelemeesch, initiator of the Videodroom series and music programmer at Kunstencentrum VIERNULVIER in Ghent.

“A major rediscovery” 
 
– Richard Brody, The New Yorker 

“Come for the Bjork, yes, but stay for the Keene” 
– Angeline Gragasin, Screen Slate

THE JUNIPER TREE  (1990)

79 min (US), Language: English

Director, Writer, Producer, Editor: Nietzchka Keene

Camera: Randolph Sellars

Premiere 1991, at Sundance Film Festival
Cast

Margit………………….…Björk Guðmundsdóttir

Katla……………………….Bryndis Petra Bragadóttir

Johann……………………Valdimar Örn Flygenring

Mother ……………………Guðrún Gísladóttir

Jonas ………………….….Geirlaug Sunna Þormar


Restored version: The edition of The Juniper Tree released by Arbelos was restored from the original 35mm film elements and digitally remastered in 4K.

“The film shows many raw aspects of human nature, such as madness, silence, loss, love, seduction, friendship, deception, self-preservation and innocence, but they are all expressed in a fantastically fragile way. The exciting challenge for me is to incorporate that fragility in the music while keeping its strength”.
– Midori Hirano