Horror film about folklore: “There are not many religious studies scholars collaborating on films”

Supernatural

The scriptwriter and religious studies scholar brainstormed a number of times about Dutch folklore and Witte Wieven. “Witte Wieven are mythical creatures from Dutch and German folklore that are often depicted as ghostly forms. There are several regional variants. Sometimes they are seen as friendly guides, while in other stories they are associated with evil,” says Sterken. “Among other things, we talked about what a supernatural being is and how people react to it.”

Sterken also helped keep the historical context correct. For example, Nollkaemper wanted both an early medieval setting and a monastery in the Netherlands. “But in the early Middle Ages there were no monasteries in the Netherlands, so we changed it to a commune,” Sterken explains. “The film stays very close to traditional folklore. It's raw, it's dirty, with lots of violence and blood.” 

Regional language

Sterken also convinced Nollkaemper and director Didier Konings to use language appropriate to the period 1000 AD in Drenthe. “It would be very strange if the characters spoke modern Dutch,” says Sterken. “I convinced them to use Low Saxon, a regional language that has been officially recognised since 2018. I translated and voiced the script so that the actors could hear how it should sound. I also attended nearly all the filming days so that I could help with the pronunciation. I am really proud to have contributed to the spread of Low Saxon and enhancing the image of this language, which has been largely ignored for a long time.”

Modern

In all its authenticity, the film also ties in with modern themes. In the film, Frieda flees to the forbidden forest surrounding the village, and she returns from it unharmed. In the male-dominated community she lives in, she is condemned as a devil follower. But Frieda finds a new faith in the dark forces of the forest. Sterken: “Marc Nollkaemper reflected on how we think today about issues such as gender, dominance in society, and the distinction between natural and supernatural. This ties in with my research, in which I also focus on ambiguity in supernatural beings. There is no such thing as only good or evil; rather, there is a huge grey area. I really see a reflection of my own research in the film.”

Nazi shadow

Sterken thinks it is great that the film highlights a piece of Dutch folklore, but most of all he hopes that this attention from the wider public will also lead to more academic interest. “The fact that there is so little attention for folklore in academia has everything to do with the Second World War,” Sterken explains. “The Nazis loved research on folklore. Both in the Netherlands and in Germany, attempts were made to incorporate elements of German folklore and ancient Germanic mythology into Nazi ideology to create a sense of superiority. After the war, folklore study largely disappeared from universities because no one wanted to get their hands dirty working on it.”

As a result, there is less than a handful of scholars in the Netherlands studying folklore and mythology. While there is a wealth of material waiting to be studied, according to Sterken. What to make of mermaids in Dutch coastal areas, who predicted that an area would be flooded? Or Sterken's favourite, the Groningen Aulken: elf-like creatures that could change shape and exchanged their sickly children for healthy human children. 

Secretive

The collaboration between Sterken and Nollkaemper is therefore not yet over. The two are already brainstorming about new projects. “But I cannot say anything about that yet,” says Sterken secretively. He still cannot quite believe his luck. “There are not many religious studies scholars collaborating on films. I know of one in the US. And now I am one too. I would never have expected it when I first started studying Religion, Politics and Society.”

Witte Wieven is part of the Koolhoven Presents programme, created in collaboration with VPRO. The film will air on 16 March at 10 p.m. on NPO3, following which it will become available on NPO+ and NPO Start.