USA 2016 | Director: Anna Biller | Horror, Comedy | 121 Minutes | 35mm | OF

Monday, 3. March 2025, 7 pm

Blue Salon, Room 012, HfG Karlsruhe

Free admission, donation requested

THE LOVE WITCH, according to Anna Biller, is the story of a "femme fatale from a female perspective," plunging into a magically dark world of desire and sexuality. In this timeless setting, the elegant witch Elaine searches for true love, leading to tragic consequences as her obsession with romance and her supernatural powers results in unpredictable outcomes. Filmed in 35 mm and developed in Technicolor, the nostalgic style evokes 1960s horror. The opulent color schemes and music reminiscent of Morricone create a retro aesthetic that blends CAMP, goth, and dark humor. Biller examines Hollywood's portrayal of women, navigating between exploitation cinema and everyday pornography, while offering a satirical homage to the witchcraft genre.

In order to create a nostalgic glamour and magic-infused atmosphere, THE LOVE WITCH relies on a color scheme of purple and lavender hues, which permeate the makeup, costumes, and overall set design. Purple, often associated with spirituality and mysticism, along with red and pink tones, symbolizes passion and seduction, merging two central aspects of the heroine’s character.

Supporting film: Retro Trailer-Roll

Director: From Hitchcock to Jacques Demy

1950-1975 | 10 Minutes | 35mm | Germay

The Kino im Blauen Salon, the student cinema of the Hochschule für Gestaltung, has been run by students since 2017 and has been a registered association since the beginning of 2024: https://kinoimblauensalon.de/de/news.

More about the film series in winter semester 2024/25:

Welcome to our new series CINEMA OF COLORS, in which we are dedicating ten films to the fascinating phenomenon of color in cinema: how does it come about, how does it work, what does it tell...? After all, apart from time, there is probably nothing more essential than light and color, which feed our lives and our projectors. While black and white dominated early cinema for decades, the introduction of Technicolor in the 1930s ushered in a new era for our viewing habits: Color sticks deep in our memory as an emotion. Who could forget the girl's coat in SCHINDLER'S LIST? Why can you immediately recognize a Wes Anderson film by its look, and what color is the MATRIX again?

Our program spans the entire winter semester like a rainbow and shows that the Blauer Salon is not resting on its monochrome reputation. Come along and immerse yourself in a colorful palette of classics and rarities from the international cinema landscape: 10 films of various genres from 10 different production countries and 10 decades will chase the grey season away from your eyes and hearts!