January 10 - January 18, 2025 Robert Eggers: An American Cinematheque Retrospective Series | NOSFERATU, THE WITCH, THE NORTHMAN, THE LIGHTHOUSE
ABOUT THE SERIES: The American Cinematheque is delighted to welcome the prestigious master of gothic horror Robert Eggers for an in-person tribute including his latest film, NOSFERATU, a new take on the twisted beauty and the beast tale told from his singular vision, and his feature debut, THE WITCH. Joining him in-person for THE WITCH are his longtime collaborators: costume designer Linda Muir, production designer Craig Lathrop and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, whose meticulous world building has been showcased on all of his films, including THE NORTHMAN and THE LIGHTHOUSE. Robert Eggers began his career as a production designer and director of theatrical productions, evident in his use of lavish, intricate sets and the operatic gravitas that he affords each of his projects. His upbringing in New England often inspires his work, crafting stories that weave Paganism, folklore and mythologies into the fabric of northeastern America. Eggers’ influential first feature, THE WITCH, explores the repressive Puritan society of 1630s New England, centering on a young woman grappling with patriarchal alienation and religious extremism. Eggers drew inspiration from 1890s New England photography and early nautical French cinema for his sophomore feature, THE LIGHTHOUSE; an atmospheric maelstrom of maritime mythos beautifully rendered in black-and-white 35mm film. THE NORTHMAN marked Eggers’ first foray into studio filmmaking and delves into Norse mythology with the story of Amleth, a Viking on a harrowing quest to avenge his father’s murder. Eggers expertly utilizes the medium of cinema to showcase the utter brutality and nightmarish conditions of the Viking Age through complex choreographed battle sequences and attention to detail to the material culture of medieval Icelanders depicted on screen.