Film Restored “For real?!”

From September 21 – 25, the film heritage festival Film Restored will present new digitally restored films, workshop reports, glimpses into the archives, and fascinating panel discussions. The seventh “Film Restored” festival is titled “For Real?!” and is dedicated to cinema history’s diverse forms of documentation, whether marked by the aesthetic, political, or technical.

Many of the presentations deal with the issues of authenticity and a claim to truth. Even a genre such as nature films – or perhaps especially nature films – raise those issues. Isn’t a portrayal of the natural world always shaped by ideology? That is particularly true of German “cultural films” intended to introduce audiences to “faraway lands and civilizations.” And films commissioned by governments, institutions, or corporations often veer far from the purely informational content they purport to propagate. At the same time, those works often carry meaning, whether intended or not, above and beyond their educational or sometimes propagandistic goals.

That is certainly the case when the films survive in archives and become documentation of bygone lifestyles and societal conditions. Documentary films have enjoyed increased popularity in recent years. They have greatly profited from the new distribution channels offered by streaming platforms. On the other hand, artistic documentaries have always been made for the big screen. The festival will present new restorations of some of the films that illustrate that aesthetic diversity.

The film screenings will be complemented by lectures, workshop reports, and panel discussions. You can find the complete program here. A selection of the films, discussions, and introductions, as well as bonus features will be available from September 21 online at film-restored.de. Applications for accreditation will be accepted until September 12.

Registration: Applications for accreditation will be accepted until September 12:  registration_fr@deutsche-kinemathek.de

Participation in the festival (screenings and live and online events) is free of charge with prior accreditation. There are only a limited number of accreditation badges.

Content note

The preservation and reflection of audiovisual heritage is the task of the Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek. This includes content in the collections and archives that is tinged with ideology, which reproduces racist stereotypes and perpetuates prejudice. Dealing with this content requires special caution and care. Its presentation, whether in publications or exhibitions, must be contextualized, but the problematic content must not be obscured or altered. This does not imply approval of the respective content.

Mounted under the aegis oft he Deutsche Kinemathek for the German Association of Cinematheques

The Deutsche Kinemathek is funded by and suppted by special funding by Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media