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Carl Th. Dreyer: Essential Cinema event image
Anthology Film Archives, East Village, Manhattan

Carl Th. Dreyer: Essential Cinema

The Passion of Joan of Arc, Vampyr, Day of Wrath, Ordet and Gertrud in one weekend at Anthology — Dreyer's late run, nearly end to end.

Wikimedia Commons image; CC BY 2.0; attribution: Eden, Janine and Jim; source page: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anthology_Film_Archives_-_lights_sign.jpg

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Dreyer made few films and no two look alike, yet the weekend lays out the spine of the work in order: the annihilating close-ups of The Passion of Joan of Arc, the drifting dream-logic of Vampyr, the witch-trial dread of Day of Wrath, the miracle at the end of Ordet, and the glacial refusals of Gertrud. Seeing them within three days makes the throughline legible in a way that scattered single screenings never do. If you have only met Dreyer through Joan of Arc, come back Sunday for Ordet.

What to expect

Straight repertory screenings in Anthology's East Village theaters, one or two Dreyer titles a night, programmed under the Essential Cinema banner. The films are long-take, slow-burn and largely silent or early-sound, so they reward a rested viewer more than a late arrival.

Good to know

  • Five titles across three nights — you can build a near-complete late-Dreyer run in one weekend.
  • Anthology is at 32 Second Avenue at East 2nd Street; take the F to Second Ave or the 6 to Bleecker St.
  • Essential Cinema programs are repertory screenings of the canon, not new restorations premieres.
  • The theaters are small and these are perennial draws — buy ahead rather than at the door.
  • The Passion of Joan of Arc is silent; check the listing for how the screening is accompanied.
  • The Christine Choy retrospective runs the same weekend in the same building if you want a double feature.

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Common questions

Which Dreyer films screen and when?

The Passion of Joan of Arc on Friday at 7:30pm; Vampyr at 6pm and Day of Wrath at 8pm on Saturday; Ordet at 5pm and Gertrud at 8pm on Sunday.

What is Essential Cinema?

It is Anthology Film Archives' ongoing repertory program built around a canon of essential works, which is the series these Dreyer screenings fall under.

Can I see all five in one weekend?

Yes. The five titles are spread across Friday, Saturday and Sunday with no overlapping start times among them.

See the full ranked weekend board →