Potsdam, August 28, 2025 – Ewald André Dupont’s drama VARIETÉ, starring the actor of the century Emil Jannings as well as Lya de Putti, Warwick Ward, Maly Delschaft and Kurt Gerron, ensured a sold-out opening of the 15th UFA Film Nights last night. At the invitation of Bertelsmann and UFA, more than 1,000 spectators watched the digitally restored version of the 1925 silent film by the F.W. Murnau Foundation in the Colonnade Courtyard of Museum Island Berlin. VARIETÉ was accompanied by music by the UFA Syncopators: Küspert & Kollegen, based on a new composition by Werner Küspert and Richard Siedhoff, who also celebrated their world premiere with their music.

Before the screening began on Museum Island, Bertelsmann and UFA welcomed around 300 guests on the roof terrace of Bertelsmann’s representative office at Unter den Linden 1. Numerous prominent actors, cultural figures and personalities from politics and society attended the summer reception, where they were welcomed by Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe and UFA CEO Sascha Schwingel.

In addition to Inka Friedrich, this year’s patron of the UFA Film Nights, Dr. Wolfram Weimer, Minister of State for Culture and Media, Sarah Wedl-Wilson, Berlin Senator for Culture and Social Cohesion, Prof. Dr. Marion Ackermann, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, the directors Roland Suso Richter, David Dietl and Philipp Stölzl as well as author and journalist Friedrich Küppersbusch attended the first silent film evening of the UFA Film Nights.

Prominent actors and actresses also accepted the invitation from the international media, services and education company and its subsidiary. They included Caroline Frier, Florence Kasumba, Ina Paule Klink, Ulrike Frank, Anna Stieblich, Jürgen Prochnow, Johann von Bülow, Hans-Werner Meyer, Michael Trischan, Daniel Steiner and Martin Neuhaus.

Thomas Rabe, Chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann, said in welcoming the guests:

“Over the past 15 years, the UFA Film Nights have established an open-air festival that has become an integral part of Berlin’s cultural summer. Year after year, we reach more than 3,000 film enthusiasts. Over the years, 45 silent films have been screened, most of them with newly composed music and after a thorough digital restoration. Supporting this digital restoration of silent films is part of Bertelsmann’s cultural commitment in the areas of film, music and books, which we summarize under the label Culture@Bertelsmann. It is in line with the modern development of the Archivio Storico Ricordi, one of the most important classical music archives in the world, and our various activities around the literature format ‘The Blue Sofa’. With all these activities, we assume responsibility as a partner to creative people and give their achievements a stage.”

Sascha Schwingel, CEO UFA, added: “I am very pleased that we were able to open this year’s UFA Film Nights with “Varieté” – a film that still captivates audiences today with its visual power and emotional intensity. The great response from the audience shows that the fascination of silent film remains alive. With the UFA Film Nights, we have been sending out a powerful signal for 15 years now that film history can not only be preserved, but can also be experienced again and again.”

Today, the UFA Film Nights continue with the film adaptation of Richard Strauss’ 1925 opera DER ROSENKAVALIER, directed by Robert Wiene. Richard Strauss himself rearranged his opera music purely instrumentally for the film and composed some new passages. For the performance on the Museum Island, the Metropolis Orchestra Berlin will play this composition by Richard Strauss in a version arranged by Tom Kemp in 2006.

The UFA Filmnächte 2025 will close on Friday with Gustav Ucicky’s DER STRÄFLING AUS STAMBUL. With Willi Forst, Paul Hörbiger, Betty Amann and especially leading actor Heinrich George, Ufa had assembled a star cast in 1929. Supported by Bertelsmann, the digitally restored version of the film by the F.W. Murnau Foundation will have its world premiere at the UFA Film Nights 2025. Grammy-nominated composer and multi-instrumentalist PC Nackt will perform his composition created especially for the film.

A few tickets are still available for both evenings at the box office.

The UFA Film Nights program at a glance:

Wednesday, August 27, 2025, start of movie: 9:00 p.m.

VARIETÉ (1925)

Director: Ewald André Dupont

With Emil Jannings, Lya de Putti, Warwick Ward, Maly Delschaft, Georg John, Kurt Gerron

Production: Universum-Film AG (Erich Pommer)

Length: 82 min. Digitally restored version by the F.W. Murnau Foundation (2014)

Music: UFA-Syncopators: Küspert & Kollegen after a composition by Werner Küspert and Richard Siedhoff

Thursday, August 28, 2025, start of movie: 9:00 p.m.

DER ROSENKAVALIER (1925)

Director: Robert Wiene

With Michael Bohnen, Huguette Duflos, Paul Hartmann, Jaque Catelain, Elly Felicie Berger, Carmen Cartellieri

Production: Pan-Film AG (Vienna)

Length: 108 min. Digitally restored and partially reconstructed version by Filmarchiv Austria (2006)

Music: Richard Strauss based on motifs from his opera, arranged in 2006 by Bernd Thewes and arranged by Frank Strobel, played by the Metropolis Orchestra Berlin

Friday, August 29, 2025, start of movie: 9:00 p.m.

THE CONVICT FROM STAMBUL (1929)

Director: Gustav Ucicky

With Heinrich George, Betty Amann, Paul Hörbiger, Willi Forst, Trude Hesterberg

Production: Universum-Film AG

Length: 102 min. Digitally restored version by the F.W. Murnau Foundation (2025), supported by Bertelsmann

Music: New composition by PC Nackt

Partners of the UFA Film Nights are the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and Apleona. Ströer, radioeins, radio3 and Maz&Movie are media partners.

About Bertelsmann

Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company with around 75,000 employees and operations in more than 50 countries around the world. The Group includes the entertainment company RTL Group, the book publishing group Penguin Random House, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato Group, Bertelsmann Marketing Services, the Bertelsmann Education Group and the international fund network Bertelsmann Investments. The company generated revenues of €19 billion in the 2024 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination enables first-class media offerings and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world. www.bertelsmann.de

About UFA

UFA is one of the leading production companies for series and films, shows and documentaries in the German-speaking world. New and long-running programs from UFA reach an average of over 30 million people every week and are currently available on almost all TV channels and streaming services. The creative house bundles the range of its genres in the units UFA Fiction, UFA Serial Drama, UFA Show & Factual, UFA Documentary and UFA Mitte under one roof. UFA is part of the international production company Fremantle, the global production arm of RTL Group. UFA, rich in tradition, was founded in 1917 and is now present at five locations in Germany. Its headquarters are in Potsdam-Babelsberg. The CEO of the company is Sascha Schwingel. The COO is Natalie Clausen. www.ufa.de

Press contact UFA GmbH

Janine Friedrich
Phone: +49 331 70 60 379
presse@ufa.de

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