Witchhammer

The events unfold in the 1670s in Moravia, a period of intensified witch-hunts in Central Europe. Inquisitors wield the Malleus Maleficarum as a guide and torture becomes a sanctioned tool of interrogation. The era fuses religious fervor with legal authority, pressing individuals toward confessions and punishment.

Set in the 1670s Moravia, a rural region of the Czech lands, the story unfolds around a church, a local estate, and the rocky site known as Peter's Rock. Power and fear shape everyday life as inquisitors and landowners enforce conformity. The landscapes of villages, estates, and a coercive legal system provide the backdrop for brutal trials.

⚖️ Power and Persecution

The tribunal demonstrates how legal authority is weaponized to enforce conformity and confiscate property. The Malleus Maleficarum supplies the justification for cruelty. Torture becomes a norm in pursuit of confessions, not truth. The film critiques bureaucratic arrogance that equates faith with fear and punishes innocence.

🕯️ Conscience vs Authority

Kryštof Lautner stands as a moral counterpoint to the inquisitors, defending the vulnerable. He questions inhumane methods and advocates mercy, but his stance meets resistance from those in power. The clash reveals how personal conscience can challenge institutional authority, even within the church. His defense of Zuzana highlights the limits of mercy under threat.

😨 Hysteria and Innocence

Fear of witchcraft drives public paranoia and coerces confessions. Accused women's lives are shattered by rumor and torture, while truth becomes a casualty of mass hysteria. The film shows how fear can imprison innocence and turn a community against its own.