Die Weimarer Stummfilm-Retrospektive

‘Against the Bluff! Films of the Weimar Republic in Weimar cinemas in 1925’

Under the motto “Against the Bluff! Films of the Weimar Republic in Weimar cinemas in 1925”, the 7th Weimar Silent Film Retrospective once again places in context films that were shown in Weimar cinemas exactly 100 years ago. The focus is on films from the 1925 cinema season, which were considered cinematic highlights and had to take economic conditions and state regulations into account. Accompanied by historical newsreels, introductions, presentations and film discussions with film, culture and music experts, all screenings will also be accompanied by live music performed by internationally renowned silent film musicians. Following each event, the audience will have the opportunity to chat and discuss the films with the organisers and experts in our ‘Cine-Corner’ at the Lichthaus Kino.

DatesEvents at the Lichthaus Cinema, Screen 3
Mon,
25 Aug
2025, 7 pm
CINESSAGE:
The Weimar cinema year 1925 and the programme of the 7th Silent Film Retrospective “WIDER DEN BLUFF!” will be presented:
  • Welcome, Dirk Heinje (Lichthaus Cinema) and Rolf C. Hemke (Kunstfest Weimar)
  • “The Cinema Year 1925”, Dr Katrin Richter (Bauhaus-Universität Weimar)
  • “The Films & Musicians of the 7th Weimar Silent Film Retrospective”, Richard Siedhoff (silent film expert)
    This will be followed by a champagne reception and a tour of the exhibit “Weimar Film Intertitles 1925”.
Mon,
25 Aug 2025
7.30 pm

Feature film “THE CALL OF THE MOUNTAINS”/“CHILDREN’S FACES”
Director: Jacques Feyder, France/Switzerland 1923
Live music: Elaine Loebenstein (piano)

Tue, 26 Aug 2025
7.30 pm*

Feature film “TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD”
Director: John B. L. Noel, UK/Nepal 1924
Live music: Elaine Loebenstein (piano)

Wed, 27 Aug 2025,
7 pm

Presentation by Prof. Dr Heide Schlüpmann and Karola Gramann (film scholars, film curators, founders of Kinothek Asta Nielsen e.V., Frankfurt am Main)
“Films against the pretence of stability”

Wed, 27 Aug
2025, 7.30 pm*

Feature film “DIE FREUDLOSE GASSE” (The Joyless Street)
Director: Georg Wilhelm Pabst, Germany 1925
Live music: Richard Siedhoff (piano) & Mykyta Sierov (oboe)

Thu, 28 Aug 2025
7.30 pm*
Feature film “TARZAN AMONG THE APES”
Director: Scott Sidney, USA 1918
Spokesperson: Ralph Turnheim, Live music: Richard Siedhoff (piano) 
Fri, 29 Aug 2025
7.30 pm*

Feature film “PAT AND PATACHON ON A WORLD TOUR”
Director: Lau Lauritzen Sr., Denmark 1925
Live music: Silent Light Quartet 

Sat, 30 Aug 2025
3.00 pm

CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH PROGRAMME:
“GRANDMOTHER’S BOY”
Director: Fred C. Newmeyer, USA 1922
Live music: Richard Siedhoff (piano), Thomas Grysko (spokesperson)
Following the film, there will be a look behind the scenes at the cinema.

Mon, 1 Sep 2025
7.30 pm*

Feature film “ORLAC’S HANDS”
Director: Robert Wiene, Austria 1924
Live music: Sebastian Herzfeld (harmonium, piano, trumpet, bass, melodica, percussion)

Tue, 2 September 2025, 7 pmPresentation by Andreas Thein (Head of Archives at the Düsseldorf Film Museum):
“Harry Piel – In Search of the Lost Action Star”
Tue, 2 Sept 2025, 7.30 pm

Film “THE MAN WITHOUT NERVES”
Director: Harry Piel, Germany 1924

Film “SHERLOCK HOLMES JR.”
Director: Buster Keaton, USA 1924
Live music: Günter A. Buchwald (piano, violin)

Wed,
3
September 2025, 7.30 pm*
Feature film “THE CARAVAN”
Director: James Cruze, USA 1923
Live music: Günter A. Buchwald (piano, violin)
Thu, 4 September 2025, 7
.30 pm
Feature film “THE LAST MAN”
Director: Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, Germany 1924
Live music: Matthias Hirth (electronic sound composition)

Fri,
05/09/2025
18:00*

 

Closing concert at the Schloss Belvedere Music School
Feature film “THE HOST”
Directed by Buster Keaton, John C. Blystone, USA 1923

with the THÜRINGEN PHILHARMONIE GOTHA-EISENACH,
Conductor: Robert Israel

*Before each film, a newsreel from 1925 will be shown, with commentary by Dr Jens Riederer (Weimar City Archives).

Media information from the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar

VII. Weimar Silent Film Retrospective brings the cinema year 1925 to the screen as part of the
Kunstfest Weimar (03/08/2025)

“Storms of applause at the closing silent film concert AUSGERECHNET WOLKENKRATZER in the Audimax” (11 September 2024)

“VI. Weimar Silent Film Retrospective presents films from the cinema year 1924 as part of the Kunstfest Weimar”
(21 August 2024)

“In Praise of Cinema” – 5th Weimar Silent Film Retrospective screens films from the 1923 cinema season as part of the Weimar Art Festival (15 August 2023)

“Brandy, Tobacco, Cinema!” ‒ The 4th Weimar Silent Film Retrospective 2022, in collaboration with the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, begins as part of the Weimar Art Festival (12 August 2022)

»The 3rd Weimar Silent Film Retrospective is dedicated to the stars of Weimar cinema in the 1920s« (25 August 2021)

»Nationwide ‘KINO LEUCHTET’ Day of Action: Joint programme by Lichthaus Kino and the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar« (25 February 2021)
»Lost original music from ‘The Golem’ receives a new world premiere« (19 August 2020)

»Silent film retrospective Overstimulation of the Imagination’ rediscovers everyday cinema life of the past” (3 July 2020)

“THE APARTMENT ONE HUNDRED and silent film retrospective: Bauhaus-Universität Weimar at the Kunstfest Weimar” (19 August 2019)