Jozef Van Wissem | The Fall of the House of Usher

Drenched in misty landscapes and deep mud, with a castle looming ominously in the distance, Jozef Van Wissem captures the gothic essence of Edgar Allan Poe’s prose in music like no other artist today. The renowned composer, lute player, and guitarist, known for his collaborations with Jim Jarmusch and film scores such as Only Lovers Left Alive, will perform an original score for Jean Epstein’s legendary 1928 film, The Fall of the House of Usher. This magnificent gothic tale weaves passion with madness, where ghosts seem to haunt not only the on-screen world but also the very fabric of the film.

Edgar Allan Poe’s storytelling is rich and profoundly evocative. However, the narrative of the castle affecting its inhabitants against nature provides endless exploration. That’s why Jozef Van Wissem, a guitarist and lute player, has chosen to compose an original score, providing this gothic vision (co-written by Jean Epstein and Luis Buñuel) with a modern dimension – simultaneously hypnotic and melancholic. Wissem’s musical minimalism promises to harmonize seamlessly with Epstein’s expansive imagination.

Patrycja Mucha

Jozef Van Wissem, a Dutch composer, lute player, and guitarist, boasts an extensive discography, including collaborations with Jim Jarmusch and acclaimed film scores (including to Only Lovers Left Alive by Jarmusch, awarded for best soundtrack at the Cannes Film Festival). Through his art he creates a timeless, dark, and intense universe, characterized by mesmerizing, pure, and minimalist music that establishes an extraordinary, transcendent atmosphere. His upcoming composition for The Fall of the House of Usher continues his musical redefinition of film classics, following his acclaimed soundtrack for F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, previously presented at the New Horizons IFF and Muranów Cinema.