After last night’s packed screening of Dreyer’s emotionally wrenching Ordet, it is worth circulating a few articles and other pieces that you might be interested in reading. Though Dreyer is one of those film-makers spoken of in the same breath as Tarkovsky and Ozu, his films are probably seen less frequently. Indeed, it was certainly the first time many of the audience last night had seen any of his work.

The Danish Film Institute has a fantastic site devoted to Dreyer and his work, including a section on Ordet. The site also includes interviews and film clips, including (1) interviews with Jørgen Roos and Preben Lerdorff Rye and (2) Birgitte Federspiel and cinematographer Henning Bendtsen, both about Ordet. There is also a documentary The Word and the Light made in 2001 by Helga C. Theilgaard which is on the Danish Film Institute site.

In addition, you might like to read a useful overview of his work in Senses of Cinema. Strictly Film School provide insights into all the major films, and Jonathan Rosenbaum’s article on Dreyer is essential reading.

We’d be interested to know what you thought of the film; there was certainly more discussion about it in the pub afterwards than for any other film we’ve screened recently.