News | Brussels, 09/16/2015

“UFA Film Nights”: Bertelsmann Presents Masterpieces of the Silent Movie Era in Brussels

Silent film classics with live musical accompaniment will be shown at the Palais des Beaux-Arts from September 24 – 26

Bertelsmann is presenting the 3rd edition of its popular “UFA Film Nights” silent movie series in Brussels from September 24 to 26, 2015. The international media, services and education company is cooperating with the Palais des Beaux-Arts (Bozar) convention center and Belgium’s Cinematek to show a total of five masterpieces of the silent film era, produced between 1916 and 1928, on three evenings. The program includes drama and intrigue, suspense, documentary and comedy, all of it accompanied by live music. 

Bertelsmann Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe said: “After Berlin and Madrid, Bertelsmann now honors the avant-garde of silent cinema, whose visionary creativity still inspires filmmakers all over the world, here in Brussels. As a company that stands for creativity, and whose portfolio includes a pioneer of cinematography in the form of UFA, we feel it is important to preserve silent films as an important cultural heritage, and make them accessible for as many people as possible. Festivals like the UFA Film Nights can be an important contributor to this.” In fall, Bertelsmann plans to bring the silent film series to Paris as well. 

The “UFA Film Nights” in Brussels begin on Thursday, September 24, with Georg Wilhelm Pabst’s psychodrama “Die Büchse der Pandora / Pandora’s Box” from 1929. The film about the fate of the young seductress Lulu is accompanied by the Brussels Philharmonic, conducted by Christian Schumann. This is followed on September 25 by “Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt / Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis,” Walter Ruttmann’s experimental documentary from 1927, which captures the exuberant rhythm of Germany’s capital city at the time. The world-renowned DJ Jeff Mills from Detroit will supply the soundtrack. The third and final event of the 2015 UFA Film Nights on Sunday, September 26 will feature three short burlesque films by Charles Chaplin: “Behind the Screen” and “The Rink” from 1916, and “The Adventurer” from 1917. They document the full spectrum of Chaplin’s comedic talent, including as a roller-skate acrobat. This trio of cinematic masterpieces will be accompanied by a musical trio consisting of Kristof Becker, Ekkehard Wölk and Andrea Macelli. 

Before the screening of the first movie, Bertelsmann and its Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe will welcome around 400 invited guests to a reception next Thursday at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in the heart of the European metropolis.

Program: 

Thursday, September 24th, 2015 – 8:00pm
Die Büchse der Pandora / Pandora’s Box (1928)
Directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst
Music by Peer Raben | Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Christian Schumann
BOZAR, Salle Henry Le Boeuf 

Friday, September 25th, 2015 – Session 1: 8:00pm, Session 2: 10:00pm
Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt / Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis (1927)
Directed by Walter Ruttmann
Music by DJ Jeff Mills
BOZAR, Salle M 

Saturday, September 26th, 2015 – 7:00pm
Three Short Films by Charles Chaplin
Behind the Screen (1916),The Rink (1916), The Adventurer (1917)
Directed by Charles Chaplin
Music by Kristof Becker, Ekkehard Wölk & Andrea Macelli
BOZAR, Salle M 

Tickets and Information:
Palais des Beaux-Arts (Bozar), 23 Rue Ravenstein, 1000 Brussels
info@bozar.be; www.bozar.be; Phone: +32 – 2507 – 8200
More at http://www.bertelsmann.com/news-and-media/specials/ufa-film-nights/ 

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the broadcaster RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr, the service providers Arvato and Be Printers, the music company BMG and the Bertelsmann Education Group. The company has more than 112,000 employees and generated revenues of €16.7 billion in financial year 2014. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination promotes the creation of first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world. 

For further questions, please contact: 
Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA
Andreas Grafemeyer
Senior Vice President Media Relations
Phone: +49 – 52 41 / 80 24 66