Digitisation and Restoration of Hans Richter’s early silent and sound films
Hans Richter, born in Berlin in 1888, was active in the avant-garde art scene in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland from 1912 on. He was an important dadaist, painter and graphic artist, influenced by expressionism and cubism. Furthermore he wrote about film and modern art and was a political activist against the upcoming Nazi movement.
In 1918 Richter started to experiment with moving images together with the Swedish painter Viking Eggeling. They developed film roll pictures to illustrate a rhythmic process not only in space and plain, but beyond that in the third dimension of time. This work lead them to the creation of filmic works and made them pioneers in abstract and experimental filmmaking. After his emigration to the US he continued his work as experimental film maker, not only in filming, producing and writing, but also in teaching as Director of the Institute of Film Technique at the New York City College.
In 1918 Richter started to experiment with moving images together with the Swedish painter Viking Eggeling. They developed film roll pictures to illustrate a rhythmic process not only in space and plain, but beyond that in the third dimension of time. This work lead them to the creation of filmic works and made them pioneers in abstract and experimental filmmaking. After his emigration to the US he continued his work as experimental film maker, not only in filming, producing and writing, but also in teaching as Director of the Institute of Film Technique at the New York City College.
Beginning in 2017, numerous of Hans Richter’s silent films and some early sound films have been digitised and digitally restored within a cooperation project between Eye Filmmuseum, Deutsche Kinemathek and Deutsches Filminstitut-DFF.
The 35mm early silent films FILMSTUDIE, INFLATION, RENNSYMPHONIE, VORMITTAGSSPUK and ZWEIGROSCHENZAUBER (1928-1929) were scanned and digitally restored by Eye Filmmuseum from 35mm preservation masters from their own collection and from the collection of Cinémathèque Suisse.
Digital colour correction and mastering was done by Haghefilm Digitaal under the supervision of Eye.
The 35mm sound films EUROPARADIO, HALLO EVERYBODY, VAN BLIKSEMSCHICHT TOT TELEVISIE (1931-1936) were scanned and digitally restored by Eye Filmmuseum from 35mm preservation masters from their own collection.
Digital colour correction, sound restoration and mastering was done by Haghefilm Digitaal under the supervision of Eye.
Digital colour correction and mastering was done by Haghefilm Digitaal under the supervision of Eye.
The 35mm sound films EUROPARADIO, HALLO EVERYBODY, VAN BLIKSEMSCHICHT TOT TELEVISIE (1931-1936) were scanned and digitally restored by Eye Filmmuseum from 35mm preservation masters from their own collection.
Digital colour correction, sound restoration and mastering was done by Haghefilm Digitaal under the supervision of Eye.
Hans Richter continued working on his films from the 1920s while in exile in the United States and released them as 16mm prints. In addition to some re-editing, these new versions also included soundtracks, which Richter put together from gramophone records.
In addition to the restoration of Richter's early works from 35mm film elements, FILMSTUDIE, INFLATION, RENNSYMPHONIE, VORMITTAGSSPUK, ZWEIGROSCHENZAUBER, RHYTHMUS 21, RHYTHMUS 23 and ALLES DREHT SICH, ALLES BEWEGT SICH! (short and long version) were digitized from 16mm prints from the collections of Deutsche Kinemathek, Arsenal - Institute for Film and Video Art and Deutsches Filminstitut-DFF. Comparison of available prints and choice of source material for digitization was done at Deutsche Kinemathek.
In addition to the restoration of Richter's early works from 35mm film elements, FILMSTUDIE, INFLATION, RENNSYMPHONIE, VORMITTAGSSPUK, ZWEIGROSCHENZAUBER, RHYTHMUS 21, RHYTHMUS 23 and ALLES DREHT SICH, ALLES BEWEGT SICH! (short and long version) were digitized from 16mm prints from the collections of Deutsche Kinemathek, Arsenal - Institute for Film and Video Art and Deutsches Filminstitut-DFF. Comparison of available prints and choice of source material for digitization was done at Deutsche Kinemathek.
