Benjamin Christensen

Benjamin Christensen was born on September 28, 1879, in Viborg, Jutland. Trained in medicine and opera before becoming an actor, he established himself as an inventive filmmaker with thrillers like Det hemmelighedsfulde X (The Mysterious X, 1914) featuring pioneering shadow lighting.

Between 1919 and 1921, Christensen wrote, directed, and starred in his magnum opus Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages, a visually stunning examination of medieval demonology, inquisitorial torture, and modern psychological hysteria. Filmed with breathtaking special effects, nightmarish tableaus, and Christensen himself portraying Satan, Häxan became an immortal cult classic that influenced surrealism and modern cinematic horror.