11.11.25, 20:30, The Unknown (1927)

Enter the dark, silent world of Tod Browning, master of the macabre. The Unknown is the most celebrated and refined of the many collaborations between the director and his legendary leading man Lon Chaney. Chaney, aka The Man of a Thousand Faces, gives a heart-wrenching physical performance in this silent film as the armless Spanish knife thrower Alonzo, who throws daggers with his feet “for the show”. When Alonzo falls passionately in love with the beautiful assistant Nanon (Joan Crawford) — a woman who happens to be unable to bear being touched by a man's hands — Alonzo loses himself in a madness that drives him to unspeakable extremes.

Sadomasochistic obsession, deception, murder and mutilation ensue. Director Tod Browning himself spent part of his youth in a circus, a time that gave him a great deal of inspiration to paint a raw and authentic picture of the travelling artist's life. Other grotesque film gems of his include Dracula (1931) and Freaks (1932).

This film is accompanied by music from Bart Maris and students from KASK & Conservatorium.