Symphonie Diagonale Revisited

Peter Weibel and Markus Heltschl talk live about the famous abstract film »Symphonie Diagonale« (1924/1925) by Viking Eggeling. Markus Heltschl uses film examples and comparisons to explore the question of whether the version shown at cinemas around the world is the historically correct version of Viking Eggeling's famous abstract film »Symphonie Diagonale«.

A comparison with Eggeling's designs reveals that the figures in the film are upside down. However, sequences cut upside down would also mean that they run in the wrong direction and therefore backwards. How could these differences come about? Eggeling did not attend the premiere of his film in Berlin in 1925 for health reasons. Eggeling died only a few days later and the film remained in the hands of Hans Richter. Is the current version authentic or a fake?