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Häxan (15) + Live Score by Nick Carlisle

Silent Film & Live Music

A satanic group gather in dark candlelight.

A cult film avant la lettre, Häxan is a heady brew: an exploration of the hidden history of witchcraft combining re-enactments, animation, and lashings of Boschian imagery.

Häxan advances director Benjamin Christensen’s theory that the medieval women who the church labelled witches would in his own time have been diagnosed as hysterics. But this is no dry documentary! A sober lecture-style prologue gives way to a series of dramatic vignettes showing various Satanic debaucheries and profane rituals. The Dark Lord himself makes several fiery appearances.

Of course, the subject-matter is sensational, but it is the tone and the stylised and stylish visual presentation that are so striking, something like an essay film by Wes Anderson, by way of Hieronymus Bosch….

Experience it here with a new score for synthesiser and Mellotron composed and performed live by Nick Carlisle, presented in partnership with Queen’s Film Theatre Belfast.

Sweden 1922 Dir Benjamin Christensen 106 min

Supported by the BFI Film Audience Network, awarding funds from the National Lottery in order to bring this project to more audiences across the UK.

About Nick Carlisle

Nick Carlisle has played an integral role as writer and producer in a handful of projects on the UK DIY music scene over the last 15 years, including Peepholes, Bamboo and Lean Logic. Commissioned by QFT for Häxan’s centenary, Nick created this brand new score for synthesiser and Mellotron, approaching the project as if working closely with the director Benjamin Christensen.

What we get is no loosely connected electronic improvisation, but instead what might be the definitive score woven into each scene and giving the film new life and emotional impact. An album of highlights, “Häxan - A Soundtrack”, is available on The Colour Inverted Records.

Cinema 1

Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.   

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.