Five Films I'm Looking Forward To Watching Via International Stummfilmtage Bonn Online

For the last four years I have been attending the online version of the International Stummfilmtage Bonn and am super excited to dive into this year’s online selections (which stream for free1!) This year the are presenting a few films I have already seen, like Camille Legrand’s vibrant and timeless drama Béhula (1921) and Lewis Milestone’s The Garden of Eden (1928), although I will probably rewatch it since they’ll be streaming the new restoration. The outdoor festival in Bonn began on August 13th and the streaming began yesterday, but thankfully each film remains streaming for forty-eight hours. Here are five new-to-me films that I am hoping catch during this year’s online portion of the festival.

Since I haven’t seen any of these films, I will just be pulling from the synopses on the festival’s website.

The young minister Gösta Berling is defrocked because of his habitual drinking and joins a group of rough war veterans. Margaretha, the wife of a former army major, takes him in at her luxurious estate Ekeby, where he works as a private tutor and charms the women there. Tragic events ensue, driving both Gösta and Margaretha ever deeper into ruin. Mauritz Stiller’s monumental adaptation of Nobel Prize-winner Selma Lagerlöf’s debut novel launched the career of future Hollywood star Greta Garbo. In the role of Countess Elisabeth, she embodies the only woman capable of saving Gösta and winning his heart.

In part two of Gösta Berlings Saga, the situation comes to a head. Gösta and Elisabeth flee across a frozen lake in a breathtaking chase to escape hungry wolves, while Ekeby manor goes up in flames. Is it too late for them to turn their fate around? The spectacular burning of Ekeby was the most expensive scene ever filmed in Sweden at the time. Following its premiere, the two-parter was edited down to a single feature film and for a long time was available only in black-and-white prints. Now, Gösta Berlings Saga has been restored as closely as possible to its original length with its original colour tinting.

Kid Boots was the screen debut of stage comedian Eddie Cantor. Capably directed by Frank Tuttle, the film is an adaptation of the hugely successful Broadway musical comedy of the same name. Cantor plays the irrepressible men's tailor Samuel ‘Kid’ Boots, who becomes entangled in romantic matters and illegal dealings when he tries to help a friend get out of a legal trap set for him by his ex-wife. Cantor's co-star is Clara Bow, who in 1926 was on the verge of establishing herself as a star and the original ‘It Girl’. Kid Boots impresses with its fast-paced slapstick sequences and lavish costumes.

The Englishman John Ernest Williamson is regarded as a pioneer of underwater photography. With the aid of his invention the ‘Photosphere’ – an underwater chamber with a hatch at the end of a long tube – he was able to capture photos and film footage in the deepest depths of the sea. His feature-length docu-fiction film Wonders of the Sea features stunning images of marine life, dives and shipwreck explorations. This brand new restoration by the Austrian Film Museum, which drew on material from archives in Austria, France, Australia and the Netherlands, celebrates its world premiere in Bonn.

The shooting of the film The Great Desire is underway in a modern Berlin studio. When the leading lady falls out with the director, the young extra Eva is offered the chance to play her first leading role. However, her meteoric rise to stardom comes at the expense of her personal happiness. Where will Eva find her happy ending? Over 30 film stars of the era appear in this self-reflexive comedy about filmmaking and the ups and downs of success. This early talkie is being screened in an alternate silent version, which was produced at the time for cinemas that had not yet converted to sound.

Twins Adam and Eva look so much alike they are often mistaken for one another. The mischievous Eva uses this to her advantage to play pranks – while Adam gets the blame. As adults, Adam turns the tables by dressing up as Eva to scare off her suitors. In this unconventional cross-dressing comedy, which boldly plays with gender stereotypes and invites queer interpretations, Suzanne Marwille steals the show as both Eva and Adam. Here the first Czech film diva impressively switches between feminine and masculine poses, gestures and costumes. Marwille, a woman of many talents, also wrote the screenplay.

You can learn more about the International Stummfilmtage Bonn here and watch the streaming selections here.

I started an Instagram account for my love of the silent era, so if you’d like more micro-doses of silent film daily, give ✨ Nitrate Dreamland ✨ a follow.