Henry Seemann

Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen's legendary film uses a series of dramatic vignettes to explore the scientific hypothesis that the witches of the Middle Ages suffered the same hysteria as turn-of-the-century psychiatric patients. But the film itself is far from serious-- instead it's a witches' brew of the scary, gross, and darkly humorous.

The artistic cyclist Gaumont, his girlfriend Baptista, and their partner Rosa arrive in town with their travelling circus. Rosa is secretly in love with Gaumont, and to her great delight, she gets the opportunity to travel alone with him when Baptista gets injured and is bedridden. The two of them grow closer in secret, but the clown Pierre, who has set his sights on Baptista, gossips about the lovebirds for his own gain, thus igniting a fatal thirst for revenge in the betrayed. Stumfilm.dk

Joe, a circus clown, has a chance meeting with a famous French fashion designer, who – enthralled by Joe’s artistic talent – gets him a job in Paris. He quickly becomes the talk of the town, but as we know, wealth and happiness do not always go hand in hand, as opulent big-city living tragically seals the poor clown’s fate. (Stumfilm.dk)

The first of the Danish crime films about a master criminal with 9 fingers.

The man-hungry “vampire,” later to be popularized by America’s Theda Bara, made her screen debut in this Danish melodrama directed by August Blom. Clara Wieth starred in the title role of the Vampire Dancer, which is just what she was: a dancer performing her seductions on-stage. Off-stage, the young girl is kindhearted and a bit naïve. The lustful dance, during which Robert Dinesen succumbs to the dancer’s fatal charms, remained the centerpiece of the film, which was a popular success and made Wieth an international star.

Every day is life and death for the circus performers of the big city. Tightrope dancer Ulla lives and works in a circus with her family. Tragically, her husband plunges to his death after a wrong step during the eternal acrobatic ‘dance macabre’. In the midst of Ulla’s grief, the lion tamer proves to be a true predator, eyeing up an easy prey. Ulla quickly faces bigger worries, as the circus director forces her to walk on a tightrope directly over the lion tamer’s ferocious lions. (Stumfilm.dk)

On a holiday, the family Gram meets a young, mysterious man who turns out to be a Mormon. In spite of her fiancèe's presence, the daughter Nina is drawn to the stranger. Hypnotized, she soon follows his every step. When she finally awakes from her trance, she finds herself on a ship to Utah, in the clutches of a dangerous man. (Stumfilm.dk)

The year is 1820 and a young, promising artist, Olaf Malm, has settled in Rome, Europe’s centre of art at the time. He is in love with Sigrid, but class differences make their love impossible. Olaf Malm dies in a tragic accident; he allegedly drowns in the Tiber, but his body is never found. Sigrid gives birth to their lovechild, and twenty years later history repeats itself: their son, Henry, who has never known his real parents, loves a woman who is far above him in social rank. Fate brings him back to Rome, where his parents loved and lost each other many years before. (stumfilm.dk)

Michael von Straeten is an unscrupulous financier whose harshness and cynicism have earned him the nickname ‘The Tiger’. He destroys his enemies with no mercy and no regrets, watching calmly when his victims come close to starving to death. Will von Straeten see the error of his ways when he is brought face to face with all the evil deeds of his life? Or is it too late for von Straeten to make amends for the lives he has ruined, escaping the ultimate punishment on Judgement Day? (stumfilm.dk)

When Eve Vange regains her sight after a successful operation, she falls in love with her saviour – the young ophthalmologist Juel. Her fiancé Ernst, who is both her cousin and a teacher at the school for the blind, sets her free so she can marry the man she loves. However, it doesn’t take long before the marital bliss crumbles and darkness descends on Eve’s life again. (Stumfilm.dk)

The poor child Inger must endure trials of an almost biblical nature before her heart can be saved by true love. First, Inger is rejected by the love of her youth, Hans, who chooses a rich man’s daughter instead. Because of this, she gets thrown out into the street by her own mother but finds refuge with an acrobat in a travelling circus. When the circus performer dies in an accident, Inger gives birth to a fatherless child who doesn’t survive the night, for which she is even accused of infanticide. Guilt overwhelms Hans as he hears about Inger’s tragedies. Can Hans’ repentance save the lost Inger? (Stumfilm.dk)

A Danish crime film about a master criminal with 9 fingers.

Doctor Willy Prager’s long, selfless office hours come at the expense of his attention-seeking fiancée. During a garden party, Willy is summoned to an ill child’s bedside and leaves his fiancée Erna in the hands of his faithful friend Alfred. Out of sheer boredom, Erna tries to kiss Alfred, but the loyal friend rejects her. Erna feels devastated and lies to Willy that it was Alfred who tried to seduce her. However, Alfred refuses to tarnish Erna’s honour and tacitly accepts when Willy challenges him to a duel. (Stumfilm.dk)