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Both the film’s title and the exhibition are rich in exposition and self-evident in their themes. In the case of the film, there is a call for recognition that culturally and historically, society was organized around women – through goddess worship, medicine and herbalism, at times as warriors and huntresses, dance, ritual, art, and of course, in fertility and motherhood.
Bonfires on April 30th, rooted in pagan origins, were historically lit to honor female deities and ward off the darkness, cold, and “evil” of winter, making way to celebrate spring renewal. The Catholic Church later co-opted this day to celebrate Saint Walpurga, credited with a special ability to keep the witches away.
In Marieli Fröhlich’s film, we see the same fire with a different purpose, reversing the symbol—harnessing animistic feminine and natural forces as protective energy, a call to action against retrograde waves, and celebrating witches as the essence of female creativity.
Steven Pollock writer, curater 

WHAT’S HAPPENING? Art in the Life of Gertie Fröhlich, a film by Marieli Fröhlich 2023 was awarded Best Documentary at the New Jersey International Film Archives in October 2024 

Next screening: 26th of April 2025 6pm at Anthology Film Archives New York