live + film
The visual accompaniment to what xkl does...composing original scores to culturally significant silent films in the public domain, to be performed live.
xkl live:
Video: Jason Spafford
Current productions:
-
Creating original scores to five Iconic Short Films of the 20th Century. This program features work by Walter Ruttmann, René Clair, Maya Deren, and Denys Colomb de Daunant, outlined below.
-
FW Murnau's 1926 classic, Faust. To be performed Fall, 2026 to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
Previous productions:
-
The Maya Deren Project, performed in numerous theaters throughout the Midwest, and as far south as Dallas, Texas, in 2025.
Productions for 2026
Details
Lichtspiel Opus II & III (1921-1923 / 7')
German abstract filmmaker, Walter Ruttmann, best known for his stunning documentary, "Berlin: Symphony of a Great City" (1927), his "Opus" animations are believed to be the oldest, geometric experiments in film. We perform our piece, appropriately entitled, "Lichtspiel," to Opus II and III.
Entr'acte (1924 / 20')
Often referred to as a masterpiece, this Dadaist film by René Clair, features appearance by creative icons Erik Satie, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray. Humorous and innovative, "Entr'acte" fearlessly incorporated slow motion, reversed segments, twisted angles, and overlapping imagery.
At Land (1944 / 15')
A pioneer in American experimental film, Maya Deren "nearly single-handedly put experimental cinema on the American cultural map, and also became its iconic visual presence" in the 1940's (The New Yorker). According to Deren, "At Land" is a "mythological voyage of the twentieth century," a voyage in which one is challenged with trying to maintain one's identity in a society that imposes its own values and expectations.
Ritual in Transfigured Time (1946 / 15')
A lifelong lover of dance, Deren treats the mundane as such, exemplified by turning a cocktail party into a choreographed social event. Eventually the film transforms into a beautifully choreographed chase, culminating in Deren’s merging with the sea.
Dream of the Wild Horses (1960 / 10')
Majestic and dream-like, wild herds of the Camargue are portrayed with fluid slow-motion and soft-focus camera in this mesmerizing French short film by Denys Colomb de Daunant.
Total Running Time: 70'
Fall 2026
Faust (1926 / 2 hrs)
"From the standpoint of taste and photographic brilliance it Is doubtful whether there has ever been a production that surpassed it." - Variety