“Häxan” (1922) — live soundtrack: Max Reubel & Semeli-Sophia Kostourou

Semeli-Sophia Kostourou and Max Reubel accompany Benjamin Christensen’s film Häxan (1922, 90′) with a live sound performance.

🔷 Directed by Benjamin Christensen, the silent Danish-Swedish film “Häxan” (The Witch) was released in 1922. It is a cinematic essay on witchcraft, from ancient times to the early 20th century.

From its most primitive origins to its classical depiction in the medieval world, magic is presented in detail through a collection of illustrations from medieval books and cinematic representations, which the director renders as analytically as possible, without omitting any obscure or strange elements.

From Witches’ Saturday to the harsh interrogations of the Inquisition, the images come to life through disturbing, spectral visions that make use of all the special effects available at the time (double exposures, models, abrupt cuts, stop motion, makeup, and prosthetics). The witches are sometimes presented as surreal figures and sometimes through a more documentary-like lens, which often treats them as victims of a twisted world.

The last part concludes with a parallel between medieval magic and the treatments (in the asylum but also in society in general) reserved for women suffering from various mental disorders at the time the film was made.

🔷 Max Reubel (electric guitar, synthesizer, vocals) and Semeli-Sophia Kostourou (cello) shape the film’s soundscape live, combining composed musical themes with free improvisation. As in their soundtrack for the film L’Inferno, the music is born out of direct dialogue with the images. The encounter between electric guitar, electronic soundscapes, voice, and cello gives rise to a multi-layered, dynamically changing soundscape. The music does not illustrate, but opens up a space for resonance in the visual environment.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH1fMjR85X8

🔷 A graduate of the Nuremberg Academy of Music, cellist Semeli-Sophia Kostourou works in the field of classical music, while also exploring the boundaries between classical practice and experimental sound forms. She collaborates with classical and contemporary music ensembles in Greece and Germany, while also participating in performances and recordings of musical works for theater and cinema.

🔷 Having studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg, visual and sound artist Max Reubel focuses on the interaction and intersections between image, sound, and performance. Using electroacoustic media and processed sound, he creates sound structures that move between experimental music and visual art.