Nietzchka Keene
Encyclopedia
Professor Nietzchka Keene (1952–2004) was an American film director
and writer best known for The Juniper Tree
, a feature film shot in Iceland
, and starring the Icelandic singer Björk
in her first film role. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
in the spring of 2004 and died, aged 52, on 20 October 2004. She taught film making and editing in the University of Wisconsin–Madison
until her death.
She was born in 1952 and raised near Boston
, Massachusetts. She received her BA Degree in 1975 in Germanic linguistics at the University of Massachusetts
, Amherst, and her Masters of Fine Arts in film production from the University of California
at Los Angeles in 1989. While at UCLA she served as a research assistant in Old Icelandic language and linguistics under Dr. Jesse Byock.
Nietzchka worked in various capacities in the film industry in Los Angeles while attending graduate school, including positions as a recordist for a sound studio, a dialogue editor in a post-production house, a projectionist, and a re-recording mixer at UCLA. She produced three short films as a graduate student – Friends (1977), Still (1978) and Hinterland (1983). In 1986 after returning from her Fullbright year she wrote the script for The Juniper Tree and returned to shoot the film in 1987 on location in Iceland. It was the first film to star the well-known singer and actress Björk
, in the role of a young child in a story based on a fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm
. She won a Verna Fields
Memorial Scholarship from UCLA in 1987 for editing The Juniper Tree
, completing it in 1989. It has been screened in more than 23 festivals and invitational events around the world, including the Sundance Film Festival
, the Harvard Film Archives, and the Art Institute of Chicago. It won the Prix du Public at the Festival des Films des Femmes de Montreal in 1990 and the First Prize for First Film at the Troia International Film Festival in Troia, Portugal in 1991.
She produced a short film, Aves, in 1994, with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and from the University of Miami, which used innovative animation techniques to illuminate the spiritual state of a cloistered nun. This can again be seen in her second feature film, Heroine of Hell
, which was funded by a grant from the Independent Television Service, a PBS-backed production initiative launched in the early 1990s to develop innovative creative work for public television.
She shot Heroine of Hell, a narrative combining medieval iconography with a present-day storyline and starring Catherine Keener
and Dermot Mulroney
, on location in Miami, completing it in 1995. It was distributed via PBS to member stations in 1996.
A full-length script, Sleeping Beauty, was optioned by an independent filmmaker in Los Angeles in 1991. Professor Keene had two projects in progress at the time of her death. One, a script entitled Belle, was based on the true story of a female serial killer, Belle Gunness
, in La Porte, Indiana in the early years of the last century. She had nearly completed a third feature film, Barefoot to Jerusalem
, at the time of her death.
Barefoot to Jerusalem is a story of a woman's journey, after her lover's suicide, through a solitary landscape which brings her into battle with the devil. The film was shot on location in Madison and in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 2001 and was in the final stages of post-production at the time of her death. It has since been completed and is scheduled for release in 2008.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and writer best known for The Juniper Tree
The Juniper Tree
The Juniper Tree is a 1990 Icelandic film with a small cast of five actors, Björk, Bryndis Petra Bragadóttir, Guðrún S. Gísladóttir, Valdimar Örn Flygenring and introducing Geirlaug Sunna Þormar...
, a feature film shot in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, and starring the Icelandic singer Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
in her first film role. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
in the spring of 2004 and died, aged 52, on 20 October 2004. She taught film making and editing in the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
until her death.
She was born in 1952 and raised near Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts. She received her BA Degree in 1975 in Germanic linguistics at the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
, Amherst, and her Masters of Fine Arts in film production from the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
at Los Angeles in 1989. While at UCLA she served as a research assistant in Old Icelandic language and linguistics under Dr. Jesse Byock.
Nietzchka worked in various capacities in the film industry in Los Angeles while attending graduate school, including positions as a recordist for a sound studio, a dialogue editor in a post-production house, a projectionist, and a re-recording mixer at UCLA. She produced three short films as a graduate student – Friends (1977), Still (1978) and Hinterland (1983). In 1986 after returning from her Fullbright year she wrote the script for The Juniper Tree and returned to shoot the film in 1987 on location in Iceland. It was the first film to star the well-known singer and actress Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, in the role of a young child in a story based on a fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm
Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm , Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors who collected folklore and published several collections of it as Grimm's Fairy Tales, which became very popular...
. She won a Verna Fields
Verna Fields
Verna Fields was an American film editor, film and television sound editor, educator, and entertainment industry executive. In the first phase of her career, from 1954 through to about 1970, Fields mostly worked on smaller projects that gained little recognition. She was the sound editor for...
Memorial Scholarship from UCLA in 1987 for editing The Juniper Tree
The Juniper Tree
The Juniper Tree is a 1990 Icelandic film with a small cast of five actors, Björk, Bryndis Petra Bragadóttir, Guðrún S. Gísladóttir, Valdimar Örn Flygenring and introducing Geirlaug Sunna Þormar...
, completing it in 1989. It has been screened in more than 23 festivals and invitational events around the world, including the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, the Harvard Film Archives, and the Art Institute of Chicago. It won the Prix du Public at the Festival des Films des Femmes de Montreal in 1990 and the First Prize for First Film at the Troia International Film Festival in Troia, Portugal in 1991.
She produced a short film, Aves, in 1994, with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and from the University of Miami, which used innovative animation techniques to illuminate the spiritual state of a cloistered nun. This can again be seen in her second feature film, Heroine of Hell
Heroine of Hell
Heroine of Hell is a 1996 film by Nietzchka Keene. It has a narrative combining medieval iconography with a present-day storyline and stars Catherine Keener and Dermot Mulroney. It was filmed on location in Miami and completed in 1995. It was distributed via PBS to member stations in 1996....
, which was funded by a grant from the Independent Television Service, a PBS-backed production initiative launched in the early 1990s to develop innovative creative work for public television.
She shot Heroine of Hell, a narrative combining medieval iconography with a present-day storyline and starring Catherine Keener
Catherine Keener
Catherine Ann Keener is an American actress. She has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Being John Malkovich and Capote...
and Dermot Mulroney
Dermot Mulroney
-Early life:Mulroney was born in Alexandria, Virginia, the son of Ellen, a housewife and amateur actress originally from Manchester, Iowa, and Michael Mulroney, a law professor at Villanova University School of Law, originally from Elkader, Iowa. He has a sister, Moira, and three brothers, Conor,...
, on location in Miami, completing it in 1995. It was distributed via PBS to member stations in 1996.
A full-length script, Sleeping Beauty, was optioned by an independent filmmaker in Los Angeles in 1991. Professor Keene had two projects in progress at the time of her death. One, a script entitled Belle, was based on the true story of a female serial killer, Belle Gunness
Belle Gunness
Belle Sorenson Gunness was a Norwegian-American serial killer....
, in La Porte, Indiana in the early years of the last century. She had nearly completed a third feature film, Barefoot to Jerusalem
Barefoot to Jerusalem
Barefoot to Jerusalem is a 2008 American drama film directed by Nietzchka Keene. It is a story of a woman's journey, after her lover's suicide, through a solitary landscape which brings her into battle with the devil...
, at the time of her death.
Barefoot to Jerusalem is a story of a woman's journey, after her lover's suicide, through a solitary landscape which brings her into battle with the devil. The film was shot on location in Madison and in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 2001 and was in the final stages of post-production at the time of her death. It has since been completed and is scheduled for release in 2008.