Photos of scenes from Dr. Mabuse (Image rights: Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung)
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The event team (from left to right): Dr. Simon Frisch, Sven Opel, Dr. Katrin Richter, Gerrit Heber, Dirk Heinje, Dr. Jens Riederer, Richard Siedhoff (Photo: Annett Jahn).
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Published: 12 August 2022

»Branntwein, Tabak, Kino!« ‒ Fourth Weimar Silent Film Retrospective Involving the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar to Take Place during the 2022 Kunstfest Weimar Arts Festival

From 29 August to 8 September 2022, the Faculty of Media Studies and the University Library will be involved in the screening of a selection of silent films according to the motto of »Branntwein, Tabak, Kino!« [»Brandy, tobacco, cinema!«] during the 2022 Kunstfest Weimar arts festival. A total of 14 different films will be shown at the Lichthaus Kino and the Redoute of the Deutsches Nationaltheater in Weimar on ten evenings, which will also provide insights into the artistic ambitions, economic opportunities and state regulations that prevailed in 1922. The films were originally shown in Weimar’s two cinemas, »Scherffs Lichtspielhaus« (Marktstraße 20) und »Reform-Licht-Spiele« belonging to the court photographer Louis Held (Marienstraße 1), exactly 100 years ago.

The Weimar Silent Film Retrospective enables a cinematic journey back in time to immerse oneself in cinematic life in Weimar of former times, but also the opportunity to trace the medium of film as an increasingly weighty economic factor – from the distribution companies to the publishing and press industries to electrical engineering trades, new professions and taxation as a luxury good.

The film programme is based on extensive archive research conducted by the Department of Film and Media Studies of the Faculty of Media, which recreated the schedules of the two cinemas in Weimar at the time, »Scherffs Lichtspielhaus« and »Reform Licht-Spiele«, based on the 315 cinema ads placed in the »Allgemeine Thüringische Landeszeitung Deutschland« in 1922. An interesting and unique film programme has once again been prepared this year from approximately 370 films with a total of 2,580 screenings. It includes classics that are still well known today as well as films that have not been seen on the big screen for decades, including almost forgotten film treasures. All of the films will be shown with the historical newsreels that were customary at the time, in part preceded by short films, and set to live music by internationally renowned silent film musicians.

Fritz Lang’s »Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler«, Mauritz Stiller’s »Herrn Arnes Schatz« and »Shackletons Südpol-Expedition« by Frank Hurley are among the highlights in this year. One further special highlight will be the performance of F.M. Murnau’s »Phantom« in the Redoute on 3 September, accompanied by the Staatskapelle Weimar conducted by the renowned international composer Robert Israel.

Other musicians involved in the Silent Film Retrospective include Maud Nelissen, Ekkehard Wölk, Matthias Hirth, Tobias Rank and Sebastian Pank, and Richard Siedhoff and Mykyta Sierov.

The film screenings will be complemented with lectures by experts from the world of film and culture. After each event, the audience will have the opportunity to chat and debate about the films with the organisers and experts in our »Cine-Corner« at the Lichthaus Kino.

Film programme

Monday, 29.08.2022 | Lichthaus Kino
6 p.m.: Cinessage:
Presentation of the Weimar cinema year of 1922 and the programme for the Fourth Weimar Silent Film Retrospective entitled »Branntwein, Tabak, Kino!«.

7:30 p.m.
»DR. MABUSE, DER SPIELER. Erster Teil: Der große Spieler. Ein Bild der Zeit.«
DIRECTOR: Fritz Lang
LIVE MUSIC: Richard Siedhoff (piano) and Mykyta Sierov (oboe)

Tuesday, 30.08.2022 | Lichthaus Kino
7:30 p.m.
»CHAPLIN HAT ’NEN SCHWIPS«
DIRECTOR: Charlie Chaplin
»HERRN ARNES SCHATZ«
DIRECTOR: Mauritz Stiller
LIVE MUSIC: Robert Israel (piano)

Wednesday, 31.08.2022 | Lichthaus Kino
7:30 p.m.
Short film: »DER GROSSE BOXKAMPF DEMPSEY–CARPENTIER«
»DAS SOUPER UM MITTERNACHT. Abenteuer des Detektivs Harry Wills«
DIRECTOR: Hans Werckmeister
LIVE MUSIC: Maud Nelissen (piano)

Thursday, 01.09.2022 | Lichthaus Kino
7:30 p.m.
»DIE HINTERTREPPE«
DIRECTOR: Leopold Jessner
»VANINA«
DIRECTOR: Arthur von Gerlach
LIVE MUSIC: Maud Nelissen (piano)

Saturday, 03.09.2022 | Redoute (DNT)
5 p.m.
»PHANTOM«
DIRECTOR: F.W. Murnau, based on the novel by Gerhard Hauptmann
LIVE MUSIC: Staatskapelle Weimar, CONDUCTING AND COMPOSITION: Robert Israel

Sunday, 04.09.2022 | Lichthaus Kino
3 p.m. (programme for children and young people)
Short film: »CHARLIE ALS FEUERWEHRMANN«
DIRECTOR: Charlie Chaplin
»TISCHLEIN DECK DICH, ESELEIN STRECK DICH, KNÜPPEL AUS DEM SACK«
DIRECTOR: Wilhelm Prager
LIVE MUSIC: Ekkehard Wölk (piano)
After the film, there will be an opportunity to take a look behind the scenes at the cinema.

Tuesday, 06.09.2022 | Lichthaus Kino
7:30 p.m.
Short film: »CHAPLIN ALS STÜTZE DER ÖFFENTLICHEN ORDNUNG DANZIGS«
DIRECTOR: Charlie Chaplin
»DIE INSEL DER VERSCHOLLENEN«
DIRECTOR: Urban Gad
LIVE MUSIC: Tobias Rank (piano) and Sebastian Pank (saxophone)

Wednesday, 07.09.2022 | Lichthaus Kino
7:30 p.m.
»SHACKLETONS SÜDPOL-EXPEDITION«
DIRECTOR: Frank Hurley
LIVE MUSIC: Matthias Hirth (electronic sound compositions)

Thursday, 08.09.2022 | Lichthaus Kino
7:30 p.m.
»DR. MABUSE, DER SPIELER. Zweiter Teil: Inferno. Ein Spiel von Menschen unserer Zeit.«
DIRECTOR: Fritz Lang
LIVE MUSIC: Richard Siedhoff (piano) and Mykyta Sierov (oboe)

More information: www.uni-weimar.de/de/medien/professuren/medienwissenschaft/film-und-medienwissenschaft/stummfilmreihe

Organisers: Professorship for Film and Media Studies of the Faculty of Media at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, University Library at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Lichthaus Kino, Weimar town archive, Kunstfest Weimar

Funded by: Thuringian State Chancellery, Sparkassenstiftung Weimar-Weimarer Land, Sparkasse Mittelthüringen, Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Hessen-Thüringen, town of Weimar, Weimarer Republik e. V. (financed by the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection), Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Thüringen, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar

In case of questions, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Simon Frisch, Lecturer for Film & Media Studies (simon.frisch[at]uni-weimar.de; +49 (0) 3643 / 58 37 37) or Dr. Katrin Richter, University Library (katrin.richter[at]uni-weimar.de; +49 (0) 3643/58 28 03).