The challenging restoration of an incomplete early German sound film: Die Nacht gehört uns (1929)

Following some introductive remarks on the development of optical sound technology in Germany and the context of its emergence, the presentation will focus on the restoration of Carl Froelich’s work: Die Nacht gehört uns (engl. The Night Belongs to Us). This feature length film, which is one of the first 100% talkies in Germany, was available until this day only in a shortened version. While the image could be reconstructed nearly in its entirety, the sound is still incomplete and has therefore left some silent spots in the film. For these silent moments, several possibilities have been contemplated during the post-production, which will be shared through videos during the talk and which can be discussed with the audience at the end.

Louise Burkart – After her master’s in film studies, Louise Burkart joined ARRI Media Restoration in Munich. She now works as a film restorer for the DFF - Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum in Frankfurt. Her latest restorations for the DFF include Ich bin ein Elefant Madame (eng: I Am an Elephant Madame, dir. Peter Zadek, DE 1968) and Sein bester Freund (eng: His Best Friend, dir. Harry Piel, DE 1937). As a freelance curator, she is focusing on marginal and experimental films which she has been showing in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France.