Arthouse distributor, streamer, manufacturing firm and — since 2015 — writer Mubi is ready to launch a e-book concerning the silent period basic “Faust” containing materials that was till just lately thought misplaced.
“The Faust Bible: The Making of F.W. Murnau’s Masterpiece” is being printed by Mubi Editions, offered in partnership with la Cinémathèque française, which can publish globally on Oct. 17.
The e-book marks 100 years since F.W. Murnau’s fantasy epic, thought-about one of many prime examples of German expressionist cinema, and brings to gentle a recently-unearthed artefact of movie historical past: a visible diary of roughly 400 pictures and authentic illustrations documenting the making of the movie nearly step-by-step.
Compiled by “Faust” crew members Robert Herlth, Carl Hoffmann, and Walter Röhrig, and initially offered to Murnau inside a prop Bible, this assortment was gifted as a memento to the director on the movie’s completion and forward of his transfer from Germany to Hollywood. Nevertheless, it was then misplaced for a few years, thought to have been destroyed in World Warfare II, earlier than its latest rediscovery and painstaking restoration by la Cinémathèque française, who acquired it for his or her assortment in 2017.
Now printed in full for the very first time, “The Faust Bible: The Making of F.W. Murnau’s Masterpiece” will include stills and sketches showcasing the movie’s lavish costuming and set design, plus detailed storyboarding.
The publication is guided by Laurent Mannoni, scientific director of heritage at la Cinémathèque française, who additionally contributes a newly commissioned essay and annotations on the invention of the Bible and its uncommon contents. Accompanying him are Stefan Drössler, director of the Filmmuseum München, writing on the manufacturing historical past of the movie, and Okay.J. Relth-Miller, director of movie applications on the Academy Museum of Movement Footage, on the movie’s lasting legacy in modern cinema.
”Preserving and revitalizing movie historical past is on the coronary heart of what we do at Mubi,” stated Daniel Kasman, Mubi’s vice chairman of publishing. “The discovery of the astonishing Faust ‘Bible’ presents a beautiful opportunity to share this glorious classic of silent cinema with audiences new and old. It offers profound new insight into the mind of one of cinema’s greatest auteurs, revealing the meticulous artistry behind this groundbreaking visual fantasia, created by some of the most talented craftspeople of their day—while standing as a remarkable work of art in its own right.”
To mark each the e-book’s publication and the centenary of “Faust,” Mubi will current a collection of worldwide occasions and screenings all through autumn 2026, together with a public launch at la Cinémathèque française in Paris on Oct 17. Additional particulars are to be introduced.
“One of the most influential and pioneering filmmakers of the silent era, F.W. Murnau was known for the privacy of his film sets,” stated la Cinémathèque française’s Mannoni. “Reluctant to welcome visitors, he was even less inclined to reveal his creative process. The rediscovery of the Faust ‘Bible’ offers extraordinary insight into the making of one of cinema’s great masterpieces. Published in its entirety for the first time, it allows readers to trace the creation of this legendary film.”
