Film Symphony: The White Hell of Piz Palu

The planned introduction with Frank Strobel has been cancelled.

Crevasses, avalanches, rescue attempts - the mountain film drama "The White Hell of Piz Palü" tells of the great dangers in the Bernina massif. Together with a young couple, mountaineer Dr Johannes Kraft ventures up the north face of Piz Palü. However, the main protagonist of the silent film is the breathtaking Engadine mountains. The spectacular nature shots made the film an international sensation when it was released in 1929. By the standards of the time, it was a risky shoot that gave directors Arnold Fanck and Georg Wilhelm Pabst their experiences with the forces of nature. As significant as the film is, it is also controversial. The young Leni Riefenstahl, who later made a career in Hitler's Nazi regime, can be seen in a leading role; in addition, the scenes with the well-known Jewish actor Kurt Gerron were cut out in 1935. We are showing the mountain film classic in the original version with the film music by Ashley Irwin.

FILMPHILHARMONIC EDITION
Film with permission of the Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek
Music with permission of Ashley Irwin