Wintergartenprogramm (Max Skladanowsky, 1895)

[denti alligator]

So the Skladanowskys premiered the first moving pictures in Berlin about two months before the Lumieres. Wim Wender's film about them (Die Gebrüder Skladanowsky, aka A Trick of Light) is interesting, but he appears to have reenacted the six films shown that evening in November, 1895. (The exception might be Bauerntanz zweier Kinder, which is looped at the end of the film. This appears to be authentic.) Why Wenders doesn't show us the actual films is beyond me. And why they aren't featured on the DVD as extras is equally baffling.

So where can I find these films?

Ringkämpfer is up at Youtube. But what about the others? This is important stuff--why isn't it available?

[Camera Obscura]

Perhaps someone renewed the music rights and Wenders forgot to clear them.

But seriously, it sure would be interesting to know whether some of these films are available.

[Tommaso]

This is important stuff--why isn't it available?

Are you sure these films do still exist? The largest part of German silents before 1918 is lost, and these are the oldest German films ever made, of course. And even if they do exist, I would assume they are in a very very poor state.

[Jonathan S]

At least some of these films have been shown on one of the German TV channels. I remember they were presented together as a sort of filler after a silent feature.

[shirobamba]

At least some of these films have been shown on one of the German TV channels. I remember they were presented together as a sort of filler after a silent feature.

German Wikipedia says that all of them survived. They have been shown on ARTE TV in 1995 as a byprogram for Wenders' hommage. Though I don't know nothing about the condition, because I haven't seen this broadcast myself.

[denti alligator]

Two more of the original Skladanowsky films up at Youtube:

Das Boxende Känguruh (1895)

Serpentinen Tanz (1895)