The Passion of Joan of Arc

An academically gifted student, Dreyer left home in 1906 after successfully completing his basic school course, dissociated himself from his adoptive family, and embarked on a series of unfulfilling office jobs before discovering his penchant and innate talent for journalism. He worked as a reporter for several influential newspapers including “Berlingske Tindende” (the oldest newspaper in Denmark) and “Politiken” (the second oldest), before joining, at the age of 21, a group of young and idealistic reporters in launching what proved to be a short-lived newspaper called “Riget” in 1910.Dreyer’s adventurous spirit placed him at the forefront of the nascent aviation society, where his fascinating and technically comprehensive articles led to his fated association with the Nordisk Film Company, serving as a hot-air balloon technical adviser. With the collapse of “Riget”, Dreyer found a job at “Ekstra Bladet”, the tabloid newspaper arm of “Politiken”, where his increased interaction with the fledgling Danish motion picture industry led to occasional commissions at titling and writing film scripts for several studios before signing an exclusive contract with Nordisk in 1913. Two years later, Dreyer became a full-time Nordisk employee, where his responsibilities broadened to include film editing (for which he demonstrated considerable skill) and, with the encouragement and tutelage of Nordisk technical director, Wilhelm Stæhr, Dreyer turned his attention to directing.