Vampyr

Vampyr is based on In a Glass Darkly, an 1872 collection of stories by J. Sheridan Le Fanu. Dreyer used two of the stories for Vampyr. One is 'Carmilla', a lesbian vampire story, and the other is 'The Room in the Dragon Volant' about being buried alive. Julian West plays Allan Gray, a student of the occult, who arrives in the village of Courtempierre that is cursed by a vampire.

Vampyr was shot entirely on location and to amplify the atmosphere, director Carl Theodor Dreyer opted for an indistinct, soft-focus camera technique. Vampyr is full of astounding camera and editing tricks, disorienting visual effects and layered sounds that create a very eerie atmosphere of dreamy horror.

Dreyer started Vampyr, a year after the release of his preceding film and masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc in late 1929. Dreyer initially conceived of Vampyr as a silent film. The frequent use of titles is a holdover. Later on he decided to add sound, however because the technology was still in its infancy, the dialogue has been kept to a minimum.

Live music

Vampyr will be accompanied live with new music from and by Metrocelli: Joel Siepmann, Yasha Albracht, Annie Tångberg, Emile Visser and bandoneonist Martin de Ruiter.