Marlene Dietrich ignites the screen in a tale of passion, danger, and desire

The film

Henri, a young man adrift, marries a wealthy heiress to rescue the family business. On the eve of his honeymoon, he glimpses a mysterious woman through a frosted train window. Their eyes meet — a fleeting, spellbinding moment of silent‑film perfection — and from it unfolds a chain of passion and betrayal that hurtles toward disaster.

The Woman Men Yearn For is one of Weimar cinema’s most exquisite silent dramas, yet it slipped past critics and audiences in 1929 amid the rush to embrace sound. Here, in her final silent role, Marlene Dietrich radiates the stillness, intensity, and allure that would soon make her a legend. Filmed just months before The Blue Angel, this forgotten gem captures the instant her star truly began to burn.

The music

Frame Ensemble is the resident quartet of Northern Silents, bringing films to life with music created in the moment. No two Frame performances are ever the same. Their scores are crafted spontaneously, as the musicians respond to the film in real time alongside the audience. This immediacy gives each screening a thrilling sense of risk and discovery, with soundtracks that mirror the drama on screen and deepen the cinematic experience.

Doors 7.00pm

Music: Frame Ensemble

Director: Curtis Bernhardt
Year: 1929
Country: Germany
Length: 2 hours, including short film and interval

A film from the holdings of the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung (www.murnau-stiftung.de) in Wiesbaden