Rose Bernd

Germany 1919, 84 min.

Director: Alfred Halm

Accompanimant: Karlsruher Improvisationsensemble (Matthias Vogt, Klavier), Hartmut Nieder (Klarinette), Bhadra H. Nofer (Perkussion)

The young, attractive but good natured too Rose Bernd (Henny Porten) is driven back and forth between several men. While one of them asks her father for her hand in the traditionall way, she has a secret rendezvous with another. However, these are observed by a third person, who blackmails Rose Bernd. When she doesn’t succumb to the sexual demands she got raped. This does not remain without consequences, so that we can anticipate the tragic outcome of this melodrama. As is usual in melodramas, the real problem is not addressed: how can the fate of mothers of illegitimate children (and their children too) be changed? Alfred Halm’s film version of Gerhart Hauptmann’s theatre piece by the same title was received favorable by the famous Nobel Prize winner.

 

The Return of Ulysses

Germany 1918, 58 min.

Director: Rudolf Biebrach

Accompaniment: Reiko Emura (piano) and Shinichi Minami (Percussion)

In the last year of WWI, the German men had been at war for four years, Rudolf Biebrach shot a film with Henny Porten in the leading role, which transferred the well-known plot to Upper Bavaria and, changed it strongly. Ulysses, who took ten years to return to his wife after the war, has transformed into a rejected suitor and mountain guide. His profession was too dangerous for her – whereupon he disappeared. After a long time she has to decide among the large number of suitors when a bearded stranger appears. Will he get the Edelweiss (attention – cliché!) back from the mountain?

 

Friday, 7th February 2020, 4.00 pm
Studio 3, Kino der  Kinemathek Karlsruhe

Genuine

Germany 1920, 57 min.
Director: Robert Wiene
Accompaniment: Sabine Zimmer (piano)

‘Genuine’ is preceded by the reputation, that Robert Wiene foremost pursued one goal with this film: to repeat the success of ‘Caligari’. And as so often in the history of cinema this went thoroughly wrong. This is why the film is rarely shown, and only a few have been able to verify the widespread prejudice. In the context of this festival, we would like to offer the audience the possibility of a direct comparison of the two films made immediately after each other.

Genuine leaves the impression off an overtwisted ghost story located in a small Irish town in. The focus is on a demonic femme fatale who loves and hates, only to find a very bad ending. Fern Andra plays this role in an exalted style, reminiscent of the Italian divas, voluptuous and cruel, tender and always in the centre of attention. JJ

Friday, 7th February 2020, 7.00 pm
Studio 3, Kino der  Kinemathek Karlsruhe

Anna Müller-Lincke is a candidate

Germany 1919, 15 min.
Director: Werner Sinn

What one might think of as a satire at first glance is actually a didactic film that skilfully explains to its audience how democratic elections work and why it is important to participate in them. He hides that by means of an uncomplicated act. All members of a family want to run in the upcoming elections; however in different parties. This leads to all sorts of complications.

Müller-Lincke was a very popular theatre and film actress, always at the centre of her films. She decides to run for election, and the other members of her family follow suit, each for a different party. This leads to all kinds of complications. But the audience also learns that in elections you can only cast one vote at a time

A Friend of the people (OT: Folkets ven)

Denmark1918,  83 min.
Director: Holger-Madsen

The Danish film by director Holger-Madsen, who was already very successful during the war, depicts the social conflicts immediately after the end of WWI through the fate of three brothers, representing the social democrats, the communists and the anarchists. While the social democrat fights in heated parliamentary debates, the communist participates in violent uprisings and the anarchist brother commits a murderous assassination attempt.

The film was shot thoroughly with commercial reasonings in mind with a high budget and with two superstars of Danish cinema: Gunnar Tolnaes and Lilly Jacobson shone in the leading roles. Mass scenes and street fights captivated the audience. (For local reception see “Local cinema history on this website)

 

Saturday, 8th February 2020 – 12.00 am
Stephansaal, Ständehausstraße 4

The Girl from the Ackerstraße

Germany 1919/20,  87 min.

Director: Reinhold Schünzel

Accompaniment: Andreas Benz (piano)

Little Ella is abused by her stepfather and has to sell matches on the street. One day she escapes from her misery and is found unconscious by a professor. He takes her into his home. The parents seemingly tolerate this, but only aim at blackmailing the professor soon. A story enfolds, how it is told by several films, among others ‘Diary of a Lost Girl’. Ella becomes a victim of sexual violence. And one day the professor sees no way out. The film is an early directorial work by Reinhold Schünzel, who took over an acting part too. Very successful with the audience, two sequels followed.

Lilly Flohr and Reinhold Schünzel

Saturday, 8th February 2020, 3.00 pm
Stephansaal, Ständehausstraße 4

Backstairs

Germany 1921,   54 Min.
Director: Leopold Jessner (acting), Paul Leni (Image design)

Accompaniment: Günter Buchwald (piano)

An expressionistic Kammerspiel with three main characters: Henny Porten as maid, Fritz Kortner as postman and Wilhelm Dieterle as a construction worker. The protagonists have no names and are characterized only by their job title and thus determined in their social role. They live on the margins of society, in the typical backyards of Berlin, which, as the title suggests, can only be reached via backstairs. A cellar apartment, the place of the proverbial social descent, is the scene of a drama of jealousy, that takes the worst possible turn. Paul Leni designed the film sets, which decisively contributed to the gloomy atmosphere of this masterpiece of expressionist cinema.

Henny Porten and Wilhelm Dieterle