CANCELLED
Shakespeare's best-known tragedy, starring Asta Nielsen 'the first diva of European silent film' in the title role!
Of course Shakespeare and cross-dressing go together like Antony and Cleopatra but the gender-bending twist in this adaptation is that Hamlet was in fact born a girl and her true sex is kept secret to secure the future of the throne. Asta Nielsen founded her own production company to realise her artistic vision for this ambitious project, with herself in the leading role. Her memorable performance stands out for its relatively uninhibited style, whilst the Expressionist-era, shadowy staging is the ideal backdrop for the film's fascinating premise.
Dir. Svend Gade & Heinz Schall | Germany | 1921 | N/C PG | German intertitles with English surtitles |1h 56m + short accompanied by John Sweeney
With: Asta Nielsen, Paul Conradi, Mathilde Brandt
Performing live: Elizabeth-Jane Baldry (harp, voice), Stephen Horne (piano, flute, accordion)
Screening material courtesy of
Deutsches Film Institute
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