| Witchhammer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Otakar Vávra |
| Written by | Otakar Vávra Ester Krumbachová |
| Based on | Kladivo na čarodějnice by Václav Kaplický |
| Starring | Elo Romančík Vladimír Šmeral Soňa Valentová |
| Cinematography | Josef Illík |
| Edited by | Antonín Zelenka |
| Music by | Jiří Srnka |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | Czechoslovakia |
| Language | Czech |
Witchhammer (Czech: Kladivo na čarodějnice) is a 1970 Czechoslovak drama film directed by Otakar Vávra and starring Elo Romančík. Based on the novel Kladivo na čarodějnice by Václav Kaplický, Witchhammer relates the story of the Northern Moravia witch trials of the 1670s, focusing on the priest Kryštof Lautner, played by Romančík, who falls victim to the witchhunt after opposing the trials. The film contains possible allegory about Communist show trials in Czechoslovakia.
The film had a limited release in Czechoslovakia. Despite this, it won awards at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival in 1970 and is considered one of Vávra's finest films.