Ita Rina

Ita Rina, a Film Star Who Declined an Invitation to Hollywood

Born in 1907, Italina Lida "Ida" Kravanja known as Ita Rina, became famous in Europe and especially in France for her role in Erotikon (1929) by Gustav Machaty. At the height of her glory she got married and refused an invitation to Hollywood. After that she appeared in a few German/Yugoslav co-productions but her career slowly faded.

Atomic War Bride

At a church in the country, eternally optimistic John marries Maria, his Atomic War Bride, as a war starts, planes buzz overhead and bombs start dropping. Though John is "mobilized" by the military seconds after the ceremony, he and Maria seek to be reunited.

Zentrale Rio

Maria Halmborg is a widow. Her husband Erik - missing for years - is considered dead. Suddenly she learns that her husband allegedly lives in Rio and sets out on the journey to clarify the matter.

...and Life Goes On

On the coast of Yugoslavia lives fisherman Ivo Kralj, his wife Marie, son Vuk, and Ivo's mother in one happy home. Marie, who loves her husband and always looks forward to his return from sea, attracts Nikola, with whom Ivo, out of jealousy, has a scuffle at a dance. After the outbreak of World War I Ivo is mobilized. He ends up in a P.O.W. camp where he is subjected to hard labour. His family then receives news of his death. The years pass and the lonely widow Marie is occasionally visited by her friend Nikola. Ivo's mother would like her to remarry. Soon after the wedding Marie becomes pregnant. Ivo, who has been thought dead, succeeds in escaping the P.O.W. camp where he has spent several years. Upon his arrival home he finds his name on a memorial erected to the victims of the war...

Das Lied der Schwarzen Berge

German adventurers discover the cultural and natural riches of Yugoslavia regions, their own carelessness almost pays for their fascination with their lives, but the intellect still wins in mastering nature, which offers the winners resources for a better quality of life. All this is framed by a love story. It is a meeting of two cultures and two views of the world.

Waves of Passion

About the booming of smuggling alcohol across the Baltic Sea between Estonia and the neighboring and alcohol prohibited Finland. Fiery love relationships are another theme of the film.

Tonka of the Gallows

Melodramatic story of an innocent country girl (Ita Rina) who struggles to make a living in the city as a prostitute. As she provides last service to a murderer sentenced to death (Josef Rovenský), society condemns her and leads her to despair. This groundbreaking film directed by Karel Anton was made in 1930 as the first Czech feature movie with post-synchronised soundtrack, recorded in France. International star cast, sensitive adaptation of Egon Erwin Kisch’s short story and innovative combination of silent and sound film features make this movie an artwork of European significance.

Erotikon

Andrea, a beautiful daughter of a railway gateman, is seduced by a rich passenger, who missed his train. Left pregnant, Andrea marries another man and moves to Prague, only to encounter her former lover and recover her former lust.

Hanba

Spring Awakening

Moritz Stiefel faces expulsion due to poor marks. When he is caught with an essay titled “Shame and Lust”, he is indeed kicked out – instead of classmate Melchior Gabor, who actually penned it. Gabor was drawing on his experiences with neighbourhood girl Wendla. Then Wendla turns up pregnant. Stiefel descends into despair ... Exploitation between Eros and Thanatos in this “sexual tragedy of youth” based on Frank Wedekind’s play. Setting the film in the 1920s provided a chance to explore “modern” youth culture, complete with cigarettes, jazz music, the gramophone, and a goodly bit of alcohol. Richard Oswald, a master of films of manners and young sex beginning in the 1910s, fully explores the temptations of the youthful body, even early childhood flirtatiousness. At the same time, with his target audience in mind, the film laments the bigotry and double standards of the adult world.

The Last Performance

The impressive cast is headed by the great Heinrich George as Boris Stroganoff, an opera composer and conductor who’s also a notorious lothario. Albani is ballet dancer Viola Suroff, who’s put her career aside to look after her partner Maxim Sadi, a baritone with unspecified health issues that have kept him off stage. Stroganoff sets his sights on Viola and offers her a job in the corps de ballet for his new opera The Boyar, which she accepts provided Maxim is also hired. However, dancer Margot (called Myrra in the French version) maintains a seething passion for Stroganoff, as does Countess Geschow (called Countess Ziska on this print), both of whom are resentful when watching his interactions with Viola. Jealousies run high on opening night between all the characters and Stroganoff is shot mid-performance, but who is the killer: Maxim, Margot, or Geschow?I

Der Tanzstudent