The Fall of the House of Usher (La Chute de la maison Usher)

Jean Epstein’s adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s stories The Fall of the House of Usher (1839) and The Oval Portrait (1850) uses misty, fog-laden scenes with low camera angles and intricate lighting to create remarkable supernatural effects. 1928, DCP, 66 minutes.

The Cradles (Les Berceaux)

A lullaby poem sung to a sleeping baby blends subjective shots from departing sailors with images of Brittany. 1932, 35mm, 6 minutes.

The Villanelle of Ribbons (La Villanelle des rubans)

A filmed pastoral poem features repeated superimpositions of footage of ribbons in the wind and a flowing river. 1932, DCP, 6 minutes.

Post-Screening Discussion

Join Sarah Keller, assistant professor of art at University of Massachusetts-Boston for a discussion about the film. Keller’s writing focuses on silent and experimental cinema as well as on intersections between cinema and poetry. Her current project addresses the relationship between Maya Deren’s finished and unfinished work.