CURSE: Häxan With Live Score By Nick Carlisle
Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen’s legendary silent film uses a series of dramatic vignettes to explore the scientific hypothesis that the witches of the Middle Ages and early modern era suffered from the same ills as psychiatric patients diagnosed with hysteria in the film's own time. Far from a dry dissertation on the topic, the film itself is a witches’ brew of the scary, the gross, and the darkly humorous. Christensen’s mix-and-match approach to genre anticipates gothic horror, documentary re-creation, and the essay film, making for an experience unlike anything else in the history of cinema.
Queen's Film Theatre commissioned musician Nick Carlisle to create a new score for the film’s 100th anniversary. Performed alone by Nick on synthesiser and Mellotron, he approached the project as if working closely with the director, Benjamin Christensen. What we get is not a loosely connected electronic improvisation, but what might be the definitive score, woven into each scene and giving the film new life and emotional impact. Performed live at CULTPLEX, there is no better way to open this year’s CURSE Folklore Film Festival.
All of our screenings are 18+ unless otherwise stated, and the film start time is as advertised above.
- Runtime: 106 minutes
- Director: Benjamin Christensen
- Country: Swedish
- Year: 1922
