De stad die nooit rust | 1928 | Documentary

Title: De stad die nooit rust | 1928 | Documentary Director: Friedrich von Maydell Studio: Transfilma Runtime: 57 minutes Format: Silent; black-and-white; 35mm Country: Netherlands Language: Silent Genres: Documentary, City symphony, Industrial --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Opening overview of Rotterdam 00:10:00 Docks, ship traffic, and harbor labor 00:25:00 Inner-city streets and commerce 00:38:00 Infrastructure and port expansion 00:50:00 Evening activity and closing panorama --- Summary: A city-symphony documentary portraying Rotterdam at the height of its interwar growth, the film moves from sweeping aerial views to ground-level scenes of shipyards, docks, rail lines, and busy quays. Its montage emphasizes the rhythm of industrial labor, transportation, and trade that define the port city’s daily life. The camera also surveys the historic inner city—canals, warehouses, and storefronts—capturing a pre–World War II urban landscape later transformed by wartime destruction. The result is both a promotional portrait of modern industry and an urban time capsule. --- Background: Commissioned to attract investors, the film was directed by Friedrich von Maydell with dynamic camerawork by Andor von Barsy and produced by Transfilma. Surviving in multiple versions, it has been restored at the initiative of the Rotterdam City Archives by the EYE Film Institute, with a 2010 soundtrack by Charly van Rest and Pierre Bastien; the restored print runs approximately 56–57 minutes on 35mm. --- Trivia: Although widely associated with cinematographer Andor von Barsy, archival and festival notes identify Friedrich von Maydell as the actual director. Different cuts circulated historically; archival listings once gave a duration around 30 minutes, while the restored version is about 56–57 minutes. The restoration premiered publicly at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2011 with a new score by Charly van Rest in collaboration with Pierre Bastien. Many sequences are filmed from the air, offering rare views of Rotterdam’s port infrastructure during the late 1920s. The film includes Dutch intertitles in the restored version circulated by Eye Filmmuseum. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: 1928 Original Studio / Distributor: Transfilma Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: No --- Hashtags: PublicDomain SilentFilm DutchCinema Rotterdam Documentary CitySymphony 1928 AndorVonBarsy FriedrichVonMaydell EyeFilmmuseum Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:De_stad_die_nooit_rust_(1928).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/De_stad_die_nooit_rust_%281928%29.webm