Häxan by Madeleine Cocolas

In 2024, I was commissioned by the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in Brisbane, Australia to write and perform a live film score for the seminal silent film, Häxan as part of their major Fairytales exhibition.

Released in 1922, Häxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages by Danish director Benjamin Christensen documents and explores the history of witchcraft through a series of dramatised narrative sequences based on his own studies of the 15th century text Malleus Maleficarum.

I hadn’t seen Häxan prior to the commission, and when I first did I was genuinely shocked. It took me a few attempts to get through the entire film. The physical and emotional distress of the women in the film is incredibly affecting, as is the empathy the film gives to these women. However, the film is also darkly and wickedly humorous. So I revelled in the hysterical nuns, the naked orgies, demonic satan and sanctimonious priests, and put together a soundtrack that spanned arpeggiating synthesisers, organs and angelic vocals.

This one is for all the witches out there.

Mx

Tracklist

1.	An Introduction	2:23

2.	A Celestial Awakening	3:22

3.	Witches Brew	4:10

4.	The Witches Take Hold	4:29

5.	Please, Help Us!	7:05

6.	Is This A Dream?	4:22

7.	Fear Not, The End Is Near	3:52