Polish horror film banned by Communist government in 1970s to be screened at Scottish festival

The Devil, by Polish director Andrzej Żuławski, is among a selection of international films from Japan, Canada and the USA to be shown at the Fiends in the Furrows film festival in Leith, Edinburgh.

Banned by the Polish government when it was released 54 years ago, Mr Żuławski opted to flee to France.

Also in the full programme for Fiends in the Furrows is Clearcut, a brutal tale of anti-colonial revenge made in 1991 in Canada by Polish film-maker Ryszard Bugajski and steeped in First Nations folklore. Permission to screen Clearcut in Leith had to be obtained directly from the film maker’s estate in Canada.

Meanwhile, among the films to be shown at Leith Depot, home of Leith Kino, is La Llarona, a Mexican film from 1933 which is the first Mexican horror film to be shot with sound.

The festival previously announced a gala presentation of Ken Russell’s 1988 gothic farce The Lair of the White Worm, starring Capaldi as Scottish archaeologist Angus Flint, would launch the event, which will also include an open air screening of classic Scottish film The Wicker Man.

The full programme for the event, a collaboration between live film events gurus Cinetopia and community-based cinema club Leith Kino, features 14 folk horror films at venues around Leith.

Fraser Elliott of Leith Kino said: “I think the full programme expands our idea of folk horror – which is usually associated with British films of the 1960s and 1970s - looking at how similar themes are reflected in films from around the world.”

Sambrooke Scott, head of audience development at Screen Scotland, said: "Fiends in the Furrows is a distinctive, community-rooted and accessible film festival from a bold curatorial collective who celebrate and revel in genre cinema.

“The events will give audiences an atmospheric, surprising and deeply engaging dose of folk horror from around the world; reflecting different people, places and stories. We're excited to support the festival and can't wait to join audiences as they discover this brilliant selection of films.”