Movies

11.00 - 12.45

Silent film and cinema organ: "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"

USA, 1923, Director: Wallace Worsley, 16mm print, English intertitles

The deformed Quasimodo lives a secluded life as a bell ringer in a tower of Notre Dame Cathedral. He falls in love with the beautiful dancer Esmeralda, but church officials and Phoebus, the captain of the guard, have also taken a liking to her. Thus begins the tragedy: Quasimodo is publicly humiliated as a scapegoat, Esmeralda is framed for murder and sentenced to death. Quasimodo fights with all his might to save his love, who in turn shows her gratitude for his humanity. In the end, Quasimodo throws the true murderer from the tower.

With this spectacular large-scale production based on Victor Hugo's (1802–1885) novel, for which full-size sets were built on the Universal Studios lot, the studio set new standards for Hollywood epics. Lon Chaney's meteoric rise as a horror actor began with the role of the title character. The Weimar press promoted the film in December 1924, stating: "The already highly exciting plot is enhanced considerably by the film's monumental visual impact, its crowd scenes with over 3,000 people, and the brilliant performances of leading American actors."

With silent film musician Richard Siedhoff at the historic Welte cinema organ
Meeting point: Ticket foyer

11.30

Feature film: "Dancer in the Dark"

Denmark 2000; Director: Lars von Trier; Cast: Björk, Catherine Deneuve, among others; 139 minutes; Rated 16, Dubbed in GERMAN

Selma loves two things above all else: American musicals and her young son. The music makes her hard work at the factory easier and brings life to her world, a world slowly fading from light. For Selma harbors a sad secret: she is going blind. To protect her son from the same fate, she scrims and saves for his operation. But then, in desperation, a debt-ridden neighbor steals Selma's savings, setting off a chain of unfortunate events that ultimately plunge her into a hopeless situation.

Cult director Lars von Trier tells a tragic story of a woman's fate in "Dancer in the Dark" with unusual visual language and pop icon Björk in the leading role.