NACHTSCHATTEN | Cinema Restored - Black Box im Filmmuseum Düsseldorf

NIGHT SHADOW

West Germany 1972 · 91 min · digital DCP · FSK 12 · Director/Screenplay: Niklaus Schilling; Cinematography: Ingo Hamer · Cast: Elke Hart, John van Dreelen, Max Krügel, Ella Timmermann, and others

Jan Eckmann, a young music publisher from Hamburg, travels to the Lüneburg Heath to take over a secluded house, where he falls under the spell of its enigmatic female resident, who is still haunted by memories of her late husband. More and more, this woman’s aura rubs off on the protagonist, and he finds himself caught in a web of the past and mysterious apparitions.

In his cinematic debut—as idiosyncratic as it is haunting—Schilling focuses less on the plot and instead plays with carefully chosen camera angles, images, colors, and shadows that stimulate the viewer’s imagination. In doing so, he avoids
ambiguity and delivers a subtle, aesthetically perfect horror film in the tradition of Murnau and Dreyer.

For the digitization of *NACHTSCHATTEN* by the DFF (German Film Institute & Film Museum), a 16mm reversal print and the master mix on magnetic tape were available. A light-corrected theatrical print served as a reference.
The digitization was carried out in 2018 in collaboration with the film’s producer and lead actress, Elke Haltaufderheide.

Introduction on September 3: Florian Deterding (Filmmuseum)