Enjoying slapstick to forget their everyday lives, immersing themselves in literary works they had not had time to read and learning about scientific phenomena – these are just some of the reasons that motivated over two million people a day to visit one of the 3,600 cinemas in Germany in 1925. The global film industry was running at full speed and trying to achieve the only true superlative: making everything better! Weimar’s two cinemas also joined in the rush
to the land of unlimited opportunity. With programmes that changed daily, “Helds Lichtspiele” at Marienstraße 1 and “Scherffs Lichtspielhaus” at Marktstraße 20 offered constant variety. On the basis of 286 cinema advertisements that can be found in the Allgemeine Thüringische Landeszeitung Deutschland for 1925, it has been possible to reconstruct the nature of daily cinemagoing in Weimar: 429 films of all genres could be seen, of which almost 60% were international productions. The curators of the Silent Film Retrospective have been able to track down 181 of these films that are still in existence, either complete or in fragments, from which they have selected 13 special and rare works. “No Bluffing! Films from the Weimar Republic showing in Weimar cinemas in 1925” – under this heading, the 7th Weimar Silent Film Retrospective contextualises the year in cinema 1925, offering both entertainment and an image of its time, an emergent art form and a growing industry. The highlight of this year’s retrospective is the screening of a milestone of American slapstick cinema with orchestral accompaniment by the Thüringen Philharmonie Gotha-Eisenach conducted by Robert Israel: “Our Hospitality”. Accompanied by historic newsreels, introductions, lectures and film discussions with experts on film, culture and music, all the film screenings will be scored live by internationally renowned silent film musicians. After every event, the public will have the opportunity to chat about the films in comfort with the producers and experts in our “Cine-Corner” at the Lichthaus cinema.
Mo 25.8. 19 Uhr Cinessage – Opening
Mo 25.8. 19.30 Uhr »VISAGES D'ENFANTS«
Di 26.8. 19.30 Uhr »THE EPIC OF EVEREST«
Mi 27.8. 19 Uhr Lecture »Die freudlose Gasse – Über Asta Nielsen und die Geschlechterverhältnisse im Film«
Mi 27.8. 19.30 Uhr »THE JOYLESS STREET«
Do 28.8. 19.30 Uhr »TARZAN OF THE APES«
Fr 29.8. 19.30 Uhr »RASKE RIVIERA REJSENDE«
Sa 30.8. 15 Uhr Kids- and family program »GRANDMA'S BOY«
Mo 1.9. 19.30 Uhr »THE HANDS OF ORLAC«
Di 2.9. 19.30 Uhr Lecture »Harry Piel – Auf der Suche nach dem verschollenen Actionstar«
Di 2.9. 19.30 Uhr »THE MAN WITHOUT NERVES« / »SHERLOCK JR.«
Mi 3.9. 19.30 Uhr »THE COVERED WAGON«
Do 4.9. 18 Uhr »THE LAST LAUGH«
Fr 5.9. 18 Uhr Silent film & orchestra »OUR HOSPITALITY« with the Thüringen Philharmonie Gotha-Eisenach
Project leadership: Simon Frisch, Gerrit Heber, Dirk Heinje, Sven Opel, Katrin Richter, Jens Riederer, Richard Siedhoff
Funding: Thüringer Staatskanzlei, Sparkasse Mittelthüringen, Stadt Weimar, Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Thüringen, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Co-operation partners: British Film Institute, Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv Berlin, La Cinémathèque française, Danish Film Institute, Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum Frankfurt a. M., EYE Filmmuseum Amsterdam, Filmarchiv Austria, Filmmuseum Düsseldorf, Filmmuseum München, FPA Classics, Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung, Musikgymnasium Schloss Belvedere Weimar, Ralph Turnheim, Stummfilmmagazin.de
With the musicians and voice artists: Günter A. Buchwald, Thomas Grysko, Sebastian
Herzfeld, Matthias Hirth, Robert Israel, Elaine Brennan, Richard Siedhoff, Mykyta Sierov, Ralph Turnheim, Silent Light Ensemble: Kristoff Becker, Andrea Marcelli & Ekkehard Wölk, Thüringen Philharmonie Gotha-Eisenach
Series produced by: Lichthaus Kino Weimar, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Stadtarchiv Weimar & Kunstfest Weimar