Film:ReStored – The Flying Dutchman

GDR 1964, directed by Joachim Herz

Opera director Joachim Herz’s adaptation of Wagner’s opera is noteworthy: Not only did he make use of every technical possibility from anamorphic “Totalvision” to four-track magnetic sound–the use of the material itself is unconventional, as Herz sets the saga of a ship captain cursed to drift the seas eternally unless redeemed by love, in the present day. The transition between reality and dreamworld is marked by a change of format from standard to wide aspect, to impressive effect. The elaborate audio process does full justice to the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under the direction of Rolf Reuter, plus chorales and vocal solos.

The 35mm original negative, digitized in HD, was the source for an HD image processing undertaken in 2012/13. The sound was digitized from a 35mm four-track ORWO magnetic tape, of which some reels had been mixed in mono. The DCP is in 2K scope–1:2,39 and includes visible changes of format.

Introduction: Ralf Schenk (DEFA-Stiftung, Berlin)

Kino Arsenal | Admission 8 €, free of charge with filmrestored [at] deutsche-kinemathek.de (subject: Akkreditierung, body: Hiermit%20m%C3%B6chte%20ich%20mich%20kostenlos%20f%C3%BCr%20das%20Filmerbe-Festival%20anmelden.%0AName%3A) (Festival-Registration)