The Swedenborg Society is pleased to announce a screening of F W Murnau’s Faust—Eine Deutsche Volkssage (1926, 107 mins), as part of the programme to accompany Simon Moretti’s exhibition Hereafter. The evening will feature a screening of Murnau’s silent masterpiece, accompanied by a live, improvisational long-form musical composition by double bassist and composer Maxwell Sterling. 

Set against the evocative backdrop of Swedenborg Hall, Sterling will draw inspiration from the film to create a unique auditory experience that complements Murnau’s haunting visuals. The film, rooted in Goethe’s narrative and German folklore, explores profound spiritual themes, including the fall from grace and the quest for redemption. It tells the timeless story of Faust, a man who makes a pact with the devil (Mephisto) in his desperate pursuit for power over the earthly realm. This captivating fusion of film and live music promises to be an enchanting evening that marries the ethereal with the gothic.

F W MURNAU was a German film director, writer and producer, and one of the leading exponents of the German Expressionism cinematic movement. His films include Nosferatu (1922), Phantom (1922), Sunrise (1927) and City Girl (1930).

SIMON MORETTI is an artist based in London. His work deals with psychoanalytical and philosophical concepts through context and display, the use of appropriated images, archives, curatorial and publishing projects. Exhibitions include: Eau Sauvage, Mackintosh Lane, London (2022); Crocodile Cradle, PEER, London (2021); and None of the Above, a project by John Armleder, Kanal-Centre Pompidou, Brussels (2020).

MAXWELL STERLING is a composer, producer and double bassist, who has collaborated extensively with leading film and television directors and contemporary artists and designers, including Max Kestner, Tai Shani and Stella McCartney. Max’s recent albums include Turn of Phrase (2021), (with Martha Skye Murphy), Distance on the Ground (2022) and Listening to the Unheard (2023).

Simon Moretti, Double Vortex (after Emanuel Swedenborg), 2025. Neon, cables, transformer, 79 x 57 cm. Photo: Nick Malyon. Courtesy of the artist.