Editor's blog

In April 2012 Danish feature film festival CPH PIX and Lynch Company present the World Premiere of Stuart Lynch's film-theatre work 'Dreyer, The Tyrannical Dane' - a tribute to a director labeled both a tyrannical sadist, a misunderstood genius and one of the World's greatest filmmakers ever.

A Crossover of Film and Theater
The film-theatre work explores the enigmatic Carl Theodor Dreyer's fascination with the struggle and power of women and the transformational magic of light and composition. With his background in sculpture and visual arts British-Australian stage director Stuart Lynch uses live stage performance and film to ask who Dreyer was, and what was his secret drive and passion?

This production, created in collaboration with CPH PIX, is specially designed to play in cinemas and film festivals. With live performance in front of a projected film subtitled in English, the work adds extra dimensions to the cinema experience.

Lynch find great inspiration in Dreyer's composition: 'Dreyer's commitment to the image and to visual composition is quite remarkable. There are few filmmakers where almost every shot or frame, can be taken out of context of the film and stand alone as a photographic image.'

In the Legend's Own House
'Dreyer, The Tyrannical Dane' is performed at 'Dagmar Teatret'. In this historical Danish cinema Dreyer was managing director for 16 years until his death in 1968. Here the leading actor of this production, Baard Owe, meet Dreyer for the first time at the casting for Dreyer's last movie 'Gertrude' (1964). Now, almost 50 years later, at the age of 75 Owe returns to the stage to play the part of Dreyer.

Uncompromising Sadist or Artistic Genius?
Throughout his career Dreyer was labelled a sadist. His films often portrayed women in torment or torture. The graphic realism of the films did nothing to change this. Dreyer's actors however, without exception spoke only highly and kindly of the director. This paradox followed Dreyer his whole life and it is this paradox that has driven Lynch throughout the creation. 'I wanted to look deep beneath the surface of Dreyer. Reject all platitudes and find the undiscovered and the authentic', says Lynch.

Stuart Lynch's 'Dreyer, The Tyrannical Dane' (Dreyer, Den Danske Tyran) is performed during CPH PIX April 12-29 in The Dagmar Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark.