The Passion of Joan of Arc

Opens October 7

1928 81 mins DCP

Rated
ur
Carl Theodor Dreyer
Joseph Delteil, Carl Theodor Dreyer
Maria Falconetti, Eugene Silvain, André Berley

Live improvised film score by Edition Redux, a group led by saxophonist/clarinetist Ken Vandermark and featuring Erez Dessel (keyboards), Lily Finnegan (drums), and Beth McDonald (tuba/electronics)

Spiritual rapture and institutional hypocrisy are brought to stark, vivid life in one of the most transcendent achievements of the silent era. Chronicling the trial of Joan of Arc in the final hours leading up to her execution, Danish master Carl Theodor Dreyer depicts her torment with startling immediacy, employing an array of techniques—including expressionistic lighting, interconnected sets, and painfully intimate close-ups— to immerse viewers in her subjective experience. Anchoring Dreyer’s audacious formal experimentation is a legendary performance by Renée Falconetti, whose haunted face channels both the agony and the ecstasy of martyrdom. Thought to have been lost to fire, the film’s original version was miraculously found in perfect condition in 1981 in a Norwegian mental institution, heightening the mythic status of this widely revered masterwork. (Janus Films)


Band bio: Edition Redux is the most recent of Ken Vandermark's ensembles, an addition to an ongoing series of bands that have been internationally and critically acclaimed, which include The Vandermark 5, FME, The Resonance Ensemble, The Territory Band, Made To Break, and Marker. In addition to Vandermark, who plays saxophones and clarinet with the group, this quartet is comprised of Erez Dessel (keyboards), Lily Finnegan (drums), and Beth McDonald (tuba/electronics), who represent the next wave of Chicago’s creative music scene. The music of Edition Redux includes the range of Vandermark's interests and influences, incorporating the experimental jazz of the AACM; the different schools of improvised music based in England, Netherlands, and Germany; post-punk, Tropicalia, dub, and funk. The band has presented its music across two U.S. tours and one European tour, and will be touring Europe again this fall.  The group’s debut record, “Better A Rook Than A Pawn” has received widespread acclaim, and two more records, including a collaboration with poet John Yau, will be released in 2025.

1928
France
81 mins
Drama

Showtimes for The Passion of Joan of Arc

Featuring a live improvised score