Caligari rises again with a rejuvenated score at Babylon

On Feb. 27, 1920, Berlin saw the premiere of the psychological thriller, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.” Today, it’s considered a quintessential film of German Expressionism. But a century ago, a mismatched score nearly cost the film its audience.

We spoke to Hans Brandner from the Babylon Orchester Berlin who shares the story about the original screenings of the film and how they prompted the director to work with composer Giuseppe Becce on a whole new score. Components of that very same score have been rearranged by Brandner and conductor Marcelo Falcão to accompany screenings in Berlin at the Babylon this year.

Produced by Sylvia Cunningham