Günter Buchwald's extraordinarily broad repertoire of silent movies from Japan is a result of many years of contacts with Japanese cultural institutes, which he started in 1991 with a performance of "Kurutta Ippeiji" at the Kyoto Museum Film Center. Since then he's a regular guest of the Kyoto and Tokyo Filmfestivals. In 1997, he opened the festivals with the world premier of  his new music written for a reconstructed version of "Sumiko".

Aside numerous others, Buchwald's repertoire contains some of the best and most interesting Japanese silent movies:

La Trahison de Daimyo, 1912  (15') * Dir: A. Guy-Blaché  One of the first films of the Japanese film history - made by the world's  first woman-director!
A love story between a geisha and a samurai

Kurutta Ippeiji - A page of madness, 1926 (80')  Dir: T. Kinugasa   A masterpiece of Japanese Espressionism
A man works as guardian in the madhouse, where his wife lives as a patient.. He tries to free her,but fails...

Naniga kanojo o sosaseta ka - Sumiko, 1929 (74')  Dir: S. Suzuki   The most successful film in Japan in 1930
Music: Günter A. Buchwald      "Compositions"
After a short life of humiliation, exploitation and disappointments, Sumiko (played by the Japanese movie star Keiko Takatsu) takes revenges against the society by a huge blaze

Tokkyo Sanbyaku-ri - Express 300 Miles, 1930 (84')  Dir: G. Saegusa   Thrilling action film, partly realized in the cetral station of Kyoto
Music: Günter A. Buchwald
The protagonists are the fastest steam locomotive of the thirties and a bold train driver. The driver saves many people's lives and after a hard struggle wins the love of a young woman

Sono Yo No Tsuma - That nights wife, 1930 (66') Dir:Y.Ozu  In teh same time a thriller and an intimate psycholigical drama
A man commits robbery to help his sick daughter. He tries to escape the police in a taxi, the driver of which is the undercover policeman who wants to catch him

Ukigusa Monogatari - A story of floating weeds, 1934 (89')  R: Y. Ozu  A whole universe realized in 90' - great art!
Family drama in a little town: a man meets again his early love, he didn't know that they got a son, the son thinks he's his uncle,
his present girl friend does everthing not to loose him...
Karakuri Cho Minato No Nihonmusume - Japanese Maidens at the Harbour, 1933 (72')  Dir: H. Shimizu  Impressionism & Expressionisms in dialogue
Extraordinary direction, camera work and acting in a love drama set in the harbour of Yokohama

Orochi - The Serpent, 1925 (90')  Dir: B. Futagawa  A milestone of the Japanese film history
The tragical fate of a samurai. The closing sword fight became became a model of many following movies

Bakuda Hanayome, 1935 (23') Dir: S.Keisuke  A slapstick comedy in the world of the samurais !
A grotesque which makes forget  Laurel and Hardy...

Umarete Wa Mita Keredo - I was born, but... 1932 (100')  Dir: Y. Ozu   One of the last great silent movies
Upon the relationship between fathers and sons ...

Chuji Tabi Nikki - A diary of Chuchi's travels, 1927 (94')  Dir: D. Ito   Unique intepretation of a samurai
The popular hero Chuchi  is portrayed as a vulnerable man, who must helplessly watch how his ideals are betrayed