Voice in the Wind

press release: USA | 1944 | DCP | 85 min.

Director: Arthur Ripley

Cast: Francis Lederer, Sigrid Gurie, J. Carroll Naish

Produced independently in Hollywood by displaced Europeans at the height of World War II, Voice in the Wind follows the fate of a persecuted Czech concert pianist (Lederer) trapped on a fictional Caribbean island. Heavily influenced by German expressionist lighting techniques, Voice in the Wind thematizes the plights of refugees both then and today: the dispossession of homeland, the separation of families, the loss of nationality and identity. A strong sense of melancholy pervades the sets, constructed in the rented Talisman Studios by former UFA set designer Rudi Feld. Made for under $100,000, this B-film belies its low-budget origins, offering strong performances and a narrative, which, through flashbacks within flashbacks, creates a sense of disorientation, much like that felt by its characters. The film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Music and Sound. Restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive in conjunction with The Film Foundation. Preserved from a 35mm acetate print, a 35mm nitrate composite Dupe Negative and a 16mm Dupe Picture negative. Laboratory services by Fotokem, Roundabout Entertainment, Audio Mechanics, DJ Audio, Inc. Special thanks to Cohen Film Collection, Tim Lanza, the Library of Congress.

UCLA Festival of Preservation on Tour: One of the world’s leaders in the efforts to preserve our motion picture heritage, the UCLA Film & Television Archive has arranged their biennial tour of restored 35mm prints and DCPs of selected titles from the most recent edition of their annual Festival of Preservation. The selection highlights features and shorts including silent-era rediscoveries, landmark American Independent movies, poverty row gems, remarkable documentaries, and more! The screenings will be presented both at our regular Vilas Hall venue and every Sunday in February at the Chazen Museum of Art.