Gruber&Turneim vertonen: Black Pirate Poetry

** 25 euros surcharge for nonstop **

Approx. 120 min (with introduction, intermission, and audience discussion)

The poet of the silver screen takes on “the Black Pirate.” Douglas Fairbanks shines in this role in what is considered Hollywood’s first pirate film. This high-seas epic is staged with a scale and dynamism that only Fairbanks could achieve. All the pirate myths that have fueled human imagination for centuries find their place in this grand production. A story this vivid had to be filmed in color—or not at all! Yet in 1926, color filmmaking was still largely unexplored territory. Fairbanks took the risk and produced Hollywood’s first feature-length color film. As expected, audiences were thrilled and flocked to the cinemas. While many viewers today have forgotten this milestone, film productions continue to draw from Douglas Fairbanks’ treasure chest.

Gerhard Gruber and Ralph Turnheim bring this magnificent jewel of the silent film era back to life. Wild, vibrant, and tender, Gruber transforms every moving image into flowing tones with his piano—no melody planned, each note born in the moment we experience together. On the other side of the screen, Turnheim uses his voice, razor-sharp wit, and rolling rhymes to revive brutal pirate captains as well as innocent princesses anxiously awaiting their rescuer. And that rescuer—you know it!—can only be one: the Black Pirate. Get ready for the most exciting and funniest cinema adventure across all seven seas!