APRIL 1971, HELSINKI

F. W. Murnau: Nosferatu (DE 1922). In April 1971 I visited my first Murnau retrospective and saw seven films. I missed for instance Der letzte Mann, which was screened on a Saturday afternoon. Saturday was then a school day.
    I asked for permission from the class teacher to visit the screening. Permission was denied because participation in a divertissement was not a sufficient motive for absence from a school class.
    Most Murnau prints were inferior in 1971. Thanks to distinguished restorations, the situation improved tremendously by the end of the 1990s. For instance the print of Nosferatu seen in 1971 was positively underwhelming. I am not a fan of modern colouring to silent films, but Nosferatu absolutely requires blue toning for night scenes. Otherwise the vampire would walk in broad sunlight.
    Poster design: Albin Grau. Albin Grau was co-founder of Prana-Film, establisher of its Yin-Yang trademark, co-producer and production designer of Nosferatu and in charge of the promotional material. Because the film was based on Bram Stoker's Dracula without authorization, a court ruling ordered all prints destroyed. Prana Film did not survive.

O profeta da fome / The Prophet of Hunger. BR 1970. D: Maurice Capovila. SEA
Billy Liar / Uneksija Billy. GB 1963. D: John Schlesinger. Tom Courtenay. tv
Die Finanzen des Grossherzogs / Suurherttuan rahahuolet. DE 1923. D: F. W. Murnau. SEA
Padurea spânzuratilor / Tuomittujen metsä. RO 1964. D: Liviu Ciulei. tv
Schloss Vogelöd / Vogelödin linna. DE 1921. D: F. W. Murnau. SEA
Sunrise / Auringonnousu. US 1927. D: F. W. Murnau. SEA
Shonen / Poika. JP 1969. D: Nagisa Oshima
Faust / Faust. DE 1926. D: F. W. Murnau. SEA
Nosferatu. DE 1922. D: F. W. Murnau. SEA
Way Out West / Kaksi kulkuria. US 1937. Laurel & Hardy. tv
Tabu / Tabu – kiellettyä rakkautta. US 1931. D: F. W. Murnau. SEA
Tartuffe / Tartuffe. DE 1925. D: F. W. Murnau. SEA
Ansiktet / Kasvot / The Face / The Magician. SE 1958. D: Ingmar Bergman. [2] A meeting of freethinkers. Cinema. In the presence of Atos Wirtanen. I bought a remarkable book by Hilkka Rasku: Ingmar Bergman kasvoista kasvoihin ([Ingmar Bergman from Face to Face], 1970). I have never seen the rare book mentioned anywhere, but I have always cherished it. I resigned from church (the Evangelic Lutheran Church of Finland) as soon as I turned 16 in April 1971. I rejoined in 2016 in protest to the fashionable "Resign from Church" movement and in order to be able to pay church tax.