13.02.24, 20:30, Die Büchse der Pandora (1929)

What supposed gifts are hiding in Pandora's box? Lulu (Louise Brooks) is a young showgirl so dazzlingly beautiful that few men (and women) can resist her ominous charm. The men caught up in her web include respectable newspaper publisher Dr Ludwig Schön, his musically inclined son Alwa, circus performer Rodrigo Quast and Lulu's seedy old friend Schigolch. When Lulu's actions and impetuous desires lead inexorably to tragedy, the downward spiral affects them all.

Georg Willem Pabst, the Austrian master filmmaker of Weimar Republic melodrama, reportedly had a good radar for spotting acting talent. After previous collaborations with stars like Greta Garbo and Asta Nielsen, Pabst cast young actress Louise Brooks from Kansas. In Die Büchse der Pandora, Brooks performed her character Lulu to much praise (ánd iconic bob hairstyle). It gave her status as one of the silent film divas of the roaring twenties. Her refined acting captured the complexity of Lulu's character, from the innocence in her first scenes to the fickle desires that set off a chain reaction of adversity. Besides her visual allure, Brooks gave Lulu a sense of authority and rebellion that resonated with the general public.

This film will be introduced by filmmaker Julie Daems.