Mr. Arne's treasure - organ cinema in the Christuskirche

Mr. Arne's Treasure (1919) is a classic of Swedish silent film.

Director Mauritz Stiller chose a story by Nobel Prize winner Selma Lagerlöf as the basis for the film and wanted to rid it of its image as a shallow entertainment medium. He created an atmospherically dense melodrama, a tragic love story in a historical setting, spiced up with a pinch of ghost story and some deep psychology, embedded in impressive shots of sublime snowy landscapes. His technique of double exposure and use of montage was innovative. The atmospheric, visually powerful work is a great template for musical improvisation with voice and organ.