64TH BERLINALE Retrospective & Homage - BERLINALE CLASSICS

Retrospective & Homage

JAN 28, 2014:

BERLINALE CLASSICS

Berlinale Classics, launched a year ago as part of the Retrospective section, is already held in high regard by long-standing film partners of the Berlinale. Presenting elaborately restored cinema classics and rediscovered films in brilliant picture and sound quality at premieres with prominent guests, it is in great demand as a platform for restored films in digital formats. In 2014, six films are screening in the programme.

Rainer Rother, head of the Retrospective and artistic director of the Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen welcomes this development: "We were very pleased to receive so many offers from partners worldwide, and feel especially honoured that Martin Scorsese, one of the most renowned initiators and supporters of film restoration, will personally present the Berlinale Classics film Rebel Without a Cause which his organisation The Film Foundation helped restore."

James Dean and Natalie Wood in Rebel Without a Cause by Nicholas Ray (USA 1955)

PHOTO Source: Park Circus, Glasgow copyright Warner Bros.

As previously announced (see press releases from April 9 and December 9, 2013), within the scope ofBerlinale Classics, the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Stiftung’s digitally restored version of Robert Wiene’s masterpiece Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) will premiere at the Berliner Philharmonie on February 9, 2014. John Zorn, composer and multi-instrumentalist from New York, will provide the musical accompaniment.

Early on in the programme, Berlinale Classics is showing a great highlight: Deutschland, bleiche Mutter(Germany, Pale Mother) by Helma Sanders-Brahms will screen as a world premiere. After its participation in the Berlinale Competition in 1980 and a number of negative reviews by German critics, the film was released to cinemas in a much abridged version. For the restoration, the deleted 30 minutes have been reinserted into this internationally successful film classic. Digitally restored by the Deutsche Kinemathek in collaboration with the Bundesarchiv, the original version will be screened in 2K DCP format. The film will be presented by Helma Sanders-Brahms herself and legendary producer Sanford (Sandy) Lieberson.

Four more cinematic gems will be shown in this year’s Berlinale Classics: Nicholas Ray’s Rebel Without a Cause (USA 1955) sealed the fate of its lead, James Dean, who had just died in a car accident, as an "immortal" idol, and quickly achieved cult status. Screening as an international premiere, this new 4K DCP version - produced from the original CinemaScope negative and scanned in 8K resolution - was restored by Warner Bros. in collaboration with The Film Foundation, whose founder Martin Scorsese will personally present the film. Funding for the restoration was provided by Warner Bros, GUCCI, and The Film Foundation.

Yasujiro Ozu’s 1960 masterpiece Akibiyori (Late Autumn) is one of only six colour films by this ingenious Japanese director. For the 110th anniversary of his birth and 50th of his death, Shochiku Co., Ltd. restored the film in collaboration with the National Film Center and National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo; based on an original film negative, the restored version will have its international premiere in 2K DCP format.

Also an international premiere is the Indian film Nayak (The Hero). RDB Entertainments, an affiliate of the film’s production company, restored this film classic in a new digital 2K DCP version, made from the original negative and scanned in 2K resolution. In 1966, at the Berlinale world premiere of this elegant production, director Satyajit Ray was awarded a "Special Mention for Nayak and his complete works".

As sixth Berlinale Classics film and in collaboration with the Panorama section, the Retrospective is presenting Derek Jarman’s Caravaggio (1986) – digitally remastered in 2K by the BFI National Archive – to mark the 20th anniversary of Jarman’s death. In making this film, Jarman worked for the first time with Tilda Swinton, his muse and, later, favourite actress. In conjunction with this film, Panorama is also showing Derek Jarman’s debut feature, Sebastiane.

Akibiyori (Late Autumn)

By Yasujiro Ozu, Japan 1960

Mon, Feb 10 at 8pm and Sat, Feb 15 at 7pm, CinemaxX 8

Presented on Feb 10 by Kaz Moriguchi

International premiere in 2K DCP

Caravaggio

By Derek Jarman, United Kingdom 1986

Fri, Feb 7 at 9:30pm, Haus der Berliner Festspiele

World premiere in 2K (remastered)

Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari)

By Robert Wiene, Germany 1920

Sun, Feb 9 at 12 noon, Berliner Philharmonie

Presented by Rainer Rother and Ernst Szebedits

World premiere of the restored version in 4K DCP

Deutschland, bleiche Mutter (Germany, Pale Mother)

By Helma Sanders-Brahms, Federal Republic of Germany 1980

Sat, Feb 8 at 11am, Kino International

Presented by Helma Sanders-Brahms, Sanford (Sandy) Lieberson

World premiere of the restored version in 2K DCP

Nayak (The Hero) 

By Satyajit Ray, India 1966 

Tues, Feb 11 at 7pm, CinemaxX 8

International premiere in 2K DCP

Rebel Without a Cause 

By Nicholas Ray, USA 1955

Fri, Feb 14 at 7pm, Haus der Berliner Festspiele

Presented by Martin Scorsese

International premiere in 4K DCP

Press Office

January 28, 2014