Sylvester. Tragödie einer Nacht

“Tragedy of a Night” is the supplementary title of the taut chamber drama SYLVESTER (Germany 1923) that Lupu Pick shot based on the masterful script by Carl Mayers: on New Year’s Eve, the claustrophobic relationship between a married couple and the mother of the husband escalates. The husband eventually flees the invective-filled argument between the two women by killing himself. As a contrast to the cramped backroom of the inn in which the drama unfolds, people celebrating on the streets of city are shown, which cinematographer Guido Seeber captures with a moving camera. In 2020, SYLVESTER. TRAGÖDIE EINER NACHT was reconstructed by the Deutsche Kinemathek based on the original score and digitized. (Anke Hahn)