NSFF | Michael

In 1924, renowned director Carl Dreyer created one of the few surviving films about homosexuality from the silent era. This film tells the story of a great painter who falls in love with his young male protégé. An unreciprocated love. "Now I can die in peace, for I have seen true love." So begins the film and these are also the last words of the great painter Claude Zoret. Zoret falls in love with his model Michael, and they live together for a long time as partners. However, when a down-and-out baroness requests a portrait, Michael succumbs to her charms. She asks for money that he doesn't have, but his partner Zoret does. Very few queer films from this time have survived, partly due to censorship or destruction. Although it is evident that this film centers on homosexual love, it is not always explicitly named in the intertitles, likely to anticipate audience reactions. Initially, the reviews were harsh, especially towards the queer elements. Nonetheless, this is a splendid example of Dreyer's sensitive and personal style, and Michael is now regarded as one of the most important queer films from the silent film era. The program concludes with a discussion about queer films in history, as well as queer history in Eindhoven. SHORT FILMS FANTASTIC FLOWERS: La culture du dahlia (FR, 1911). Director: Unknown. Length: 6 min. French intertitles. English subtitles. Skilda tiders danser (SE, 1909). Director: Unknown. Length: 3 min. Swedish intertitles. English subtitles. Ett besök hos Selma Lagerlöf (SE, 1926). Director: Raoul Le Mat. Length: 6 min. Swedish intertitles. English subtitles. Experience a whole weekend of silent films and live music. Choose a day pass or a full pass and immerse yourself in the world of early cinema.