F.W. Murnau was already regarded as one of the most innovative filmmakers of the 1920s during his years in Germany. Nosferatu, Der letzte Mann and Faust rank among the great classics of silent cinema. When he left for Hollywood, Fox gave him almost complete artistic freedom. Everything he had learned in Europe came together in Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans.
A married country man is captivated by a sophisticated woman from the city. She promises him a different, more exciting life and tries to persuade him to choose her completely. For that to happen, his wife must disappear. Through a series of unforgettable scenes, the film transforms from a dark tale of temptation and murder into a moving story of love, guilt and forgiveness.
Murnau demonstrates the power of visual storytelling. The camera moves through meticulously constructed worlds, landscapes transform before our eyes and emotions become palpable without spoken dialogue. Sunrise explores both the strongest and weakest sides of human nature and remains one of the great achievements in film history.
NSFF presents the San Francisco Film Preserve’s 2026 restoration, exactly one hundred years after the film’s premiere. With live musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne and Elizabeth-Jane Baldry.
About the Netherlands Silent Film Festival
The Netherlands Silent Film Festival (NSFF) in Eindhoven is the largest festival dedicated to silent film in the Netherlands. In this original form of cinema, stories are told through images, expression and music. Without spoken dialogue, the inventiveness of the filmmakers takes centre stage.
At the festival and through programmes presented throughout the year, NSFF makes the cinematic heritage of the silent era accessible to a wide audience. It does so through film screenings, educational projects, workshops and lectures. The creativity and innovation of early cinema deserve to be seen and heard again.
For its programme, the NSFF team follows current developments in the international world of silent film, from recent rediscoveries and restorations to new research. Audience favourites share the bill with hidden gems, all presented with live musical accompaniment by international film musicians.
