Let yourself be swept into the world of silent film, where image and movement come to life in magical ways. Composer Evelien van den Broek presents a personal selection of films that resonate deeply with her. For this edition, she has chosen two masterpieces by Buster Keaton: Sherlock Jr. and The Goat.

In these iconic short films, Keaton displays his virtuosity as actor, director, and stuntman, with flawless timing, absurd humor, and a surprising poetry in every frame. Though barely a word is spoken, the expressive power is loud and clear.

The films connect with the work that Evelien van den Broek created especially for this edition.

Evelien van den Broek: “Before I started studying music, I studied Film and Television Studies for a year at the University of Amsterdam. The entire history of film was covered, including silent film, of course. I loved seeing how the first film pioneers engaged with this new medium, and Buster Keaton is certainly one of the most innovative and influential filmmakers of that time. It’s wonderful to see how he transitioned from vaudeville to film. His insane and dangerous physical comedy gags (which he performed himself!) and dry humor are infectious. I often find the camera framing in his films beautiful; you can also see his influence on current directors like Wes Anderson in that. In my new piece, Deadpan, specially created for Dag in de Branding, I use short fragments from Buster Keaton’s films. His work ties in beautifully with the theme of ‘playfulness’ that I chose for this edition, and I think it’s special that we, at Filmhuis Den Haag, are now able to present such a “To be able to show these films on the big screen again, 100 years after they were made.”