Los cinco Faustos de F.W. Murnau

In a simple yet effective and hence almost disconcerting way, the video by provides an insight into the horrifically-complex restoration of the classic Faust by Friedrich-Wilhelm Murnau. Murnau’s film is preserved in several film archives, but none of the copies are identical. Murnau shot different versions at the same time, and these have been preserved in different ways and are all incomplete. Compiling the definitive Faust turns out to be as exciting as a thriller. shows the fascinating work and shares with the viewer many of the dilemmas that the restorer faces in such a complex reconstruction. The restoration of Faust, still in progress, has been made possible by the European Lumière Project. (Another result of this international initiative is the film Die Perücke that is also being screened as part of this programme.) The video by forms a good starting point for further debate about the issues involved in film restoration. The centenary of cinema and the expected flood of more or less successful restorations we can expect this year make such reflection especially important. This programme also includes an informative short film about the practical, minutely detailed and painstaking work of the restorer, Our Inflammable Heritage by Mark-Paul Meyer. In this film we literally look over the restorer’s shoulder.