Original subtitles

Originally, this film was shot for advertising purposes

by BASF in Ludwigshafen, between 1921 and 1925.

The film went to the cinema as an educational film

of about 65 minutes length. Around 60 minutes survive.

For the premiere on 25 february 1926 Eduard Kuenneke composed

a music for cinema orchestra (13 instruments).

The recording presented here follows the later concert versi�n

of the Blumenwunder-Suites.

THE MIRACLE OF FLOWERS

The botanic sequences

were filmed

at the BASF works of IG Farben

in Ludwigshafen.

The introduction and the dance scenes

were realized by the society for educational film, Berlin.

With: Elisabeth Grube, Stefa Kraljewa, Daisy Spiess,

Max Terpis, Herbert Haskel and dancers of the Staatsoper Berlin

Dresses designed by: Edith Glueck

Realised by: Renate Wangenheim

Garden setting: Blumen-Huebner

The production of the film took more than 4 years.

For example, the tobacco sequence

took 105 days and required more than 5300 single shots.

Part One

What have you done!

Who are you?

I am Flora, the guardian of flowers.

The flowers live, just like you.

You don't realize their suffering and fighting

because they evolve at a different rhythm and tempo.

But like you, they are sensitive when they blossom and wilt.

Man's rhythm is the pulse,

the race of blood cells

One pulse beat, that's the human second

Let's make the clock go fast!

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

One day in the life of a human

that's one second in the life of a flower

Now, look! As your sense of time is twisted

your eyes can see, like magic!

The miracle of flowers shall blossom before you.

End of Part One

Part Two

The synchronous growth of tobacco plants.

The up and down of leaves once every 24 hours.

As if pulled down by the earth's core,

the bean roots penetrate deeply.

The sprout heads straight for the light.

The box is turned 90 degrees.

The roots follow

the mysterious laws of gravity

with the rigor of a compass.

Trembling, the plant bends towards the light.

The bean pushes through the soil with elemental force.

It climbs the pole winding to the right.

Man however wants to force it to turn to the left.

Contorting, it keeps the upper hand.

Steeplechase

Banana leaf

Fern

Lightning-fast, the climbing plant shoots its antennae into the unknown.

The passi�n flower spreads out across the threads

and holds on to them contracting its tendrils.

It grows beyond the last thread into the void,

where there is nothing to hold on to.

Desperately, the tendrils spin through the void,

where they don't find support, weaken, and die back.

Until one of them, at last

and as if upon deliberation, turns around

and with an iron will pulls back the plant

to where it can live.

Climbing plant on loose threads

The medeola spins around searching for some grip

but cannot reach the threads too far behind

The spinning tendrils clasp one another

in their fight for survival.

They grasp the thread

Their movements turn smooth, and both push upwards in harmony.

End of Part Two

Musical interlude

Part Three

End of Part Three

Part Four

End of Part Four

Prelude to Part Five

Part Five - The song of growth and decay

The End