In 1990, when she was still lead singer of The Sugarcubes and yet to release her acclaimed debut solo album, Björk appeared in her first feature film: The Juniper Tree. Filmed four years earlier, in 1986 – when the singer would have been 21 – by writer/director Nietzchka Keene, the film has now been restored to 4K resolution and is due to be re-released.
The Juniper Tree is a tale of witchcraft, drawing from the eponymous Brothers Grimm fairy tale, and was filmed in black and white on a tiny budget in Björk’s native Iceland, with a cast of only five actors. Subsequently, it was selected to compete for a Grand Jury Prize at the 1990 Sundance Film Festival and has gained popularity among the singer’s fans since her following rise to international fame for albums such as Debut and Biophilia.
The restoration of the film comes from the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, with funding from The Film Foundation and The George Lucas Family Foundation. Film distribution company Arbelos will give it a North American theatrical release in the spring, but we can expect a digital release to follow.
The re-release of The Juniper Tree is set to premiere at AFI Fest next Saturday (November 10). Watch a trailer below.