Enis Aldjelis, die Blume des Ostens

(Ernst Marischka, Austria, 1917–20)

Long before his Sissi films with Romy Schneider, Marischka shot this melodrama in Istanbul, the first foreign fiction film made in the city. Discovered in the EYE collection and restored by Filmarchiv Austria in 1991, it was absent from Turkish film histories until our score brought it back to audiences. World premiere: closing night of the EYE Film Biennale, Paradiso Amsterdam (April 2010). Turkish premiere: 47th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (October 2010). Since then: Trento Film Festival (Italy), Beyoğlu Sineması (2025), Manisa Sinema Günleri(2026) and the opening night of the 6th Sinemada Film Festival, Büyükada (2026). Sixteen years on stage, and still drawing audiences who would never otherwise walk into a silent screening.