Gunnar Hede’s Saga with Live Music by YoJuliet

Gunnar Hede’s Saga is a 1923 Swedish silent film directed by Mauritz Stiller, based on a story by Nobel Prize-winning author Selma Lagerlöf. The film tells the dramatic tale of a young man torn between duty, love, and his dream of becoming a musician. Its themes of passion, sacrifice, and the struggle for identity remain as relevant today as they were a hundred years ago.

YoJuliet claimed success at the Värnamo History Filmfestival in 2023 with the new music they had created for this century-old masterpiece, bringing the story to life for today’s audiences.

Audience voices:

“It was a fantastic experience. One could call it a film concert. This was no static soundscape, but music that supported the mood and movements of the film. The sound of horses’ hooves, cowbells, the whistle of the wind, the harmonica — it was a perfect use of the musicians’ potential.”

— Torben Wahlström, Föreningen Norden Svendborg-Langeland, Denmark May 2025

“Mauritz Stiller’s silent film is accompanied by the duo YoJuliet, who, with strings, vocals, and percussion, make the story of the mentally ill young man and the poor violin girl brutally beautiful.”

— Fredrik Strage, Dagens Nyheter, Stockholm April 2023