Essential Cult Cinema Drawn from the Same DNA as Graf Festenberg: C...

Dir: Urban Gad

Ernest Schiller, a wealthy merchant, has the cherished ambition to secure as his son-in-law the Count De Grechy, a member of the nobility. His ambition is about to be realized, for the Count has accepted an urgent invitation to be Schiller's guest. His arrival is hailed with delight by the merchant, who offers the freedom of his home. Bertha, Schiller's daughter, does not experience the same enthusiasm which is manifested by her father. The reason for this is that she has pledged her heart and hand to Franz Rambauld, her sweetheart. The Count's attentions, therefore, are greatly distressing to Bertha. Nevertheless, through her father's insistence, the unfortunate girl is compelled to engage herself to the Count. To celebrate her engagement, her father gives an elaborate reception. During the festivities Bertha joins Franz, and they run away to be married. Three happy years follow, and a little child makes glad the heart of the parents. Franz, through unfortunate speculation, becomes indebted to the Count, who insists upon being paid. To add to his distress, his child is stricken seriously ill, and only the attention of a celebrated specialist can save it. In her distress, Bertha is forced to humbly seek assistance from her mother. Successful in her quest, Bertha returns home. She arrives as her husband is pleading for more time to pay his debts. Realizing her husband's position, she pays the Count's agent with the money she has just received from her mother, forgetting her child's condition for the moment. The neglect proves fatal, and death claims their child. Overwrought by her grief, the mother's mind becomes unbalanced. Even after the child has been laid to rest, the little one still lives in the mother's imagination. Her sad condition breaks down the barrier between her father and herself. Thinking to ease her mind, Franz takes her to the plot where the child is buried. Returning home, she broods over the fact that her child lies in the cold ground, and in spite of the fact that it is mid-winter, she rises in the dead of night and starts for the child's grave. But the grim hand of death claims her ere she reaches her destination.

Dir: Urban Gad

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Das Spiel von Liebe und Tod perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Urban Gad

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Urban Gad

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Das sterbende Modell perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Urban Gad

Vacationing in Germany, May falls for boatman Max. Her father disapproves and during a night of romance between the young couple Max drowns.

Dir: Urban Gad

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of So ein Mädel perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Two men of high rank are both wooing the beautiful and famous equestrian acrobat Stella. While Stella ignores the jeweler Hirsch, she accepts Count von Waldberg's offer to follow her home, where she falls in his arms. At her party some days later Hirsch turns up uninvited. He says he wants to give Stella a piece of jewelry, but she repulses his advances. When Waldberg sees this he knocks Hirsch down. Hirsch challenges him to a duel by cards. Waldberg loses all his money, and in the end also has to sign a promissory note on 85.000, which should be paid within 24 hours. To help Waldberg solve his debt Stella goes to Hirsch to receive the brooch he has promised her. While he turns away, she steals a precious necklace from him, but he happens to see the theft in a mirror. He tails her to a park, where he sees Stella giving the necklace to Waldberg. Hirsch tells Stella to come to him at midnight, if she wants him to be silent about the theft. When Waldberg finds out that Stella is going to Hirsch in the night, he becomes jealous and goes there as well. By mistake he happens to shoot Stella, who reveals her sacrifice for him before she dies.

Dir: Urban Gad

Jesta is engaged to marry uncle Peter. When a squadron of hussars have to spend the night at their farm, Peter demands that Jesta will dress as a 12 year old. However, four hussars fancies her, before Peter marries her.

Dir: Urban Gad

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Der fremde Vogel perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

The young sculptor Erik Elmer has left his studio for inspiration and new courage out there on the shiny surface of ice and snow. It does not take long before he meets an endearing, young lady - her name is Ethel Birk.

Dir: Urban Gad

Christian Wahnschaffe, the spoiled son of an industrialist, meets Iwan Becker, a leader in the Russian Nihilist movement. Impressed by Becker's concern for society's weak and poor, Christian develops sympathies for the movement's ideals.

Dir: Urban Gad

A woman betrays the regiment location in which the officer she is interested in is assigned because he despises her, only to regret it when he is caught and try to free him.