Josephine

The legendary director Ruth Berghaus created this staging of Carl Maria von Weber’s Der Freischütz as a gripping theatrical experience for the Zurich Opera in 1993. Its revival in 1999 was a roaring success. With sets by Hartmut Meyer and costumes by Marie-Louise Strandt, Berghaus’ staging avoids the local peasant colour conventionally associated with Weber’s opera. Chorus and orchestra of the Zurich Opera House are conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, universally celebrated for the structural transparency of his interpretations, his intellectual penetration and his emotional understanding of both music and opera plot. And last but not least an all-star cast made this production a highly memorable event: the dramatic soprano Inga Nielsen as Agathe, one of her best roles, the Swedish soprano Malin Hartelius as Ännchen, the sought-after Heldentenor Peter Seiffert, who gives a convincing passionate Max, and many others.

Mikolás and his brother Adam end up with a young German hostage of noble blood during a robbery. While their clan prepares for the wrath of the German king, Mikolás is sent to pressure his neighbor Lazar into a defense pact. Persuasion fails and he abducts Lazar's daughter Marketa on the eve of her initiation as a nun in an act of vengeance.

The Winter’s Tale is Shakespeare’s great play of the irrational and inexplicable, illustrating how uncontrollable emotions can range across gender, country, class and age. Its universe is full of monsters, gods and natural disasters with a colossal sweep that takes audiences from the stifling atmosphere of the Sicilian court to the unbuttoned joy of a Bohemian festival. Staged at the beautiful and iconic Globe Theatre in London, this new production is directed by Blanche McIntyre and stars Will Keen (The Crown, Wolf Hall) as Leontes, Priyanga Burford (W1A, Marcella) as Hermione and Annette Badland (East Enders, Father Brown) as Old Shepherd.

The Defenestration of Prague, which took place on May 23, 1618, was the decisive historical moment that unleashed the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) between several Catholic and Protestant states and changed the course of European history forever. (Additionally released as a heavely edited historical documentary entitled The Defenestration of Prague, 85 min.)

All day of St. Petersburg bohemia in 4 minutes of the film.

Себя-Другого

In this, her second silent film with Eichberg, Wong plays Princess Butterfly, an exotic Parisian fan dancer whose “death leap through a circle of naked swords” act goes tragically wrong. Blamed for the impalement of a fellow performer, she runs away and takes shelter with a handsome but starving painter who she brings luck.

Bicycle factory director Wallensjö regularly fires his bookkeeper Gunnar, who has taken a liking to Wallensjös daughter Maj, and uses a baby left on hos brother's doorstep to trick Wallensjö into believing they've become parents.

Mario Gas directed this music-themed Spanish drama set in Barcelona of the mid-'80s. When famed composer Lluis Doria (Laurent Terzieff) visits a transvestite club, he learns his lifelong friend Albert Rossell (Serge Reggiani) is the house pianist. A flashback takes the tale four decades into the past where the younger Rossell (Pere Ponce) rejoins Teresa (Paulina Galvez) after having spent years in prison for helping anti-Franco anarchists. The story continues into Paris of the '30s, the period when Doria and Rossell first met, sharing a mutual interest in music and Teresa, before civil war sent them in different directions.

The second of five programs about Davy Crockett involves him being bored with life, so he and Georgie plan to resettle their families and file their claims. In town, Davy wins a gunfight against the town bully, Big Foot Mason, and, as a result, he becomes the town lawman.

Gary Hart, former Senator of Colorado, becomes the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1987. Hart's intelligence, charisma and idealism makes him popular with young voters, leaving him with a seemingly clear path to the White House. All that comes crashing down when allegations of an extramarital affair surface in the media, forcing the candidate to address a scandal that threatens to derail his campaign and personal life.

The perpetrator of a murder refuses to denounce himself, which results in the conviction of one of his friends. On leaving prison, 20 years later, he goes in search of his former boyfriend.

When a woman who belongs to a bootlegging gang asks the gang for help when her father is arrested, they refuse. She quits the gang, but the gang's leader locks her up in a brothel. She escapes and hides in the apartment of a man who turns out to be the chief of the government agents pursuing her gang. Complications ensue.

Better known for her work in talkie "weepers," Helen Twelvetrees made a few preliminary appearances in such late silent films as Fox's Blue Skies. The audience was expected to believe that the twentysomething Twelvetrees and Frank Albertson are teenagers living together platonically in an orphan asylum. A wealthy old man comes calling to adopt Albertson -- who, feeling sorry for Twelvetrees, trades places with the girl. Thus it is that the heroine is carted off to a luxurious mansion, while Albertson remains behind. One year later, the old man discovers Albertson's deception, whereupon he invites the boy to live with him as well. By this time, Twelvetrees and Albertson are of marriageable age, thus the film ends with a wedding in the offing.

Japanese drama set in a southern Kyushu island where dance-troupe leader Shinji (Shinji Arano) stays on as his touring troupe departs. After Shinji moves in with an old man (Nobuyoshi Tanigawa) cared for by his granddaughter (Reiko Matsuo), he becomes an apprentice to the old man's construction of a wooden boat

A woman (Ruth Clifford) dedicates her life to her ungrateful younger sister (Laura La Plante), a brilliant violinist. “…a real gem of a photoplay…[Laura La Plante] does about the best work of her career in this role. She acts without showing she is acting, and she makes human and lovable the most trying character she has yet been called upon to essay.” – Moving Picture World.

Lash is the head coal stoker on a steam ship whose shipmates have nicknamed "Captain". Lash somehow grabs the attention of society dame passenger Cora Nevins. Nevins is actually a jewel thief who's lifted diamonds from wealthy passenger Arthur Condrax. She needs Lash to aid in sneaking the "ice" ashore at Singapore. Cocky is Lash's concertina-playing buddy and uses it to signal Lash.

A student diver risks her scholastic future and relationship with her father when she dates a moody transfer student consumed by their romance.

No coffee, no TV, no sex is a dramatic comedy. It is the story of Arno, a 27 year old living in the Geneva squats. His best friend, Maurizio, obtained a residence permit for Switzerland through an convenience wedding. Nina, Maurizio’s girlfriend, is French but would also like to live in Geneva: she faces the same administrative obstacle. In order for her to obtain a permit, Maurizio convinces Arno, for the sake of their friendship, to marry her out of convenience. Reluctantly, Arno accepts and Maurizio, unsuspecting, leaves for a few days. Alone with Nina, Arno, usually shy with women, falls in love with her. She falls in love with him. When Maurizio returns, Arno cannot hide the truth from him. He and Nina end up telling him about their relationship. They reconsider the arrangement and try to settle the dilemma together…