Benjamin Christensen

Benjamin Christensen was born in Viborg, Denmark, in 1879, the youngest of twelve children. He initially studied medicine before turning to acting at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen in 1901. After beginning his professional stage career in Aarhus in 1907, he left the theatre and briefly worked outside the arts before entering cinema in 1911. Most of his early acting and directorial efforts from this period are now considered lost.

In 1913, he reorganised the small production company for which he worked into Dansk Biograf Kompagnie and made his directorial debut with Det hemmelighedsfulde X in 1914, followed by Hævnens nat in 1916. Both films were noted for their innovative camerawork, editing and art direction. Between 1918 and 1921, Christensen conducted extensive research into the history of necromancy, which resulted in his most renowned film, Häxan. Witchcraft Through the Ages, released in 1922. In this silent essay film blending documentary analysis and dramatized sequences, he also appeared in the role of Satan.

Following the international response to Häxan, Christensen worked in Germany and later in Hollywood with MGM and Warner Brothers, directing crime dramas and horror films such as The Devil’s Circus and Seven Footprints to Satan. He also delivered a notable acting performance as Claude Zoret in Michael in 1924. Returning to Denmark, he directed socially oriented films including Skilsmissens børn and Barnet. Although much of his work has been lost or remains rarely screened, Christensen is now regarded as one of the most important Danish directors of the silent film era.