German Expressionism in Hollywood? The fifth edition of the NFM Organ Cinema will open with a film by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, the director of the iconic Nosferatu. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, from 1927, is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of all time. At the NFM, the original soundtrack, synchronised with the film, will be enhanced by an improvisation by French organist Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin. Rafał Jęczmyk will deliver an introduction before the screening.

Sunrise is a symbolic story. We do not know the names of its characters: a city woman (Margaret Livingston) extends her vacation because she secretly meets with a man (George O’Brien), whom she presses to leave his wife (Janet Gaynor). How does one navigate the labyrinth of love and desire? Scenes unfold in an eerie, almost surreal landscape, created by masterful, innovative camerawork. Sunrise won three prizes at the first Academy Awards in 1928, honouring the cinematographers (Karl Strauss and Charles Rosher) and Gaynor’s leading role. Above all, the film itself was recognised as the best movie (alongside the wartime film Wings).

We can be sure that improvising a soundtrack on the organ – a practice common in the silent film era – will produce a unique effect in Murnau’s film. Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin is a master of live organ music and serves as the titular organist of the Church of St Sulpice on the Left Bank of the Seine in Paris. The organ in this church was played by the greatest virtuosos of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Charles-Marie Widor. The evening at the NFM promises to be a truly unforgettable experience.

If you hold a festival pass or accreditation for the 26th International Film Festival New Horizons, you are entitled to a 20% discount off the price of max. two tickets for each of the NFM Organ Cinema events. The discount is available at the NFM Box Office, upon presenting the New Horizons Festival pass or accreditation.