The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) – with a Live Score by Renzo Spiteri

Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) is a landmark of German Expressionist cinema and one of the most influential films in the history of horror. Made in the aftermath of the First World War, the film reflected the uncertainty, anxiety and fractured state of a Europe emerging from war, creating a world of distorted sets, stark shadows and stylised characters in which reality itself appears unstable.

The film’s radical approach to storytelling and design, and its exploration of madness, perception and reality transformed the language of cinema and had a lasting influence on horror, film noir and gothic cinema.

At a travelling carnival in a small German town, the mysterious Dr. Caligari presents Cesare, a sleepwalker who is said to predict the future. When Cesare foretells a death, a series of mysterious events and murders unfolds, drawing the town into a disturbing world where the boundaries between reality and madness begin to blur.

Accompanying this 1920 masterpiece is a new live score by percussionist, composer and sound artist Renzo Spiteri. Commissioned by Spazju Kreattiv, Renzo’s work heightens the film’s sense of tension, instability and unease, creating a contemporary immersive encounter with the film’s shifting psychological landscape.

This performance is suited for viewers aged 12 and up who appreciate avant-garde music and unsettling vintage cinema.