The Devils (re-release)

France, 1634. When the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu seeks to seize power in the town of Loudun and only the charismatic priest Urbain Grandier stands in his way, a sexually frustrated nun seizes the opportunity. She accuses Grandier of witchcraft and of possessing her fellow nuns, thereby unleashing mass hysteria. The Devils lays bare the cesspool of ecclesiastical and political corruption. With its theatrical aesthetic, unsettling set designs, and harrowing escalation, the film shies away from no taboo. The result is a searing masterpiece blending history, satire, and horror—a controversial cult classic and visual spectacle that remains as relevant and shocking today as it was half a century ago, and whose restored director’s cut is an absolute must-see on the big screen.

The Devils, by Oscar-nominated director Ken Russell, was released in 1971 and won the Pasinetti Award for Best Foreign Film at the Venice Film Festival that same year. The re-released 4K version premiered at Cannes in the spring of 2026. The screening at the Noordelijk Film Festival marks its Frisian premiere.