NYC Gazette

Tisch School of the Arts Professor Vito Adriaensens recently made a significant discovery while researching at the Danish Film Institute in Copenhagen. Adriaensens, who also goes by Vito A. Rowlands for his films, uncovered previously unknown behind-the-scenes footage from the 1922 silent film Häxan (Witchcraft Through the Ages).

“It’s probably nothing, but could you check?” was Adriaensens's request to an archivist when he found a catalog record described as a documentary for Danish television. To his surprise, this led to the discovery of about two and a half minutes of costume test footage featuring a satyr-like figure.

The footage dates back to 1919 or 1920 and is considered extremely rare for that period. It will be included in a new DVD release of Häxan scheduled for Halloween, with Adriaensens contributing a visual essay.

Häxan is regarded as one of the first horror films and feature documentaries. “It is arguably one of the first feature documentaries...and it’s one of the first films about witchcraft as well,” said Adriaensens.

Adriaensens joined Tisch’s faculty last fall and authored Velvet Curtains and Gilded Frames: The Art of Early European Cinema. His experimental film Immaculate Generations no. 1 was screened at the Ann Arbor Film Festival earlier this year, and his first feature Ovid, New York will premiere on June 9 at the Brooklyn Film Festival.

Adriaensens emphasized the importance of studying early cinema: “These were the first feature films to try to appeal to middle- and upper-class audiences.” He advocates for student filmmakers learning from silent films because they demonstrate pure visual storytelling without words.

On teaching experimental filmmaking, he stated: “It can open their mind in creative ways that will strengthen their films regardless of genre.” He highlights how techniques from experimental cinema have influenced commercial narrative films.

His film Immaculate Generations no. 1 explores how medical imaging photography interacts with cinema, creating a hallucinatory experience based on retinal photographs.

Ovid, New York reimagines tales from Metamorphoses through seven connected stories shot on expired 35mm stock across various locations in upstate New York. "I really wanted to create a timeless universe that reflected our times," said Adriaensens.