The Woman Men Yearn For

The Woman Men Yearn For transports you back to Weimar Germany, where creativity surged against a backdrop of uncertainty. In this breathtaking silent drama, Marlene Dietrich ignites the screen in her final silent role, embodying “stillness, intensity, and allure” that would soon make her a legend. The story follows Henri, a young man adrift, who marries a wealthy heiress to save his family’s business. On the eve of his honeymoon, a fleeting, spellbinding glimpse of a mysterious woman through a frosted train window ignites a chain of passion, betrayal, and disaster—an unforgettable chain of events that unfolds in silent‑film perfection. Based on a novel by Kafka’s editor Max Brod, the film slipped past critics and audiences in 1929 as the world rushed toward sound, but today it shines as one of Weimar cinema’s most exquisite gems, captured just months before Dietrich’s breakthrough in The Blue Angel. The evening begins with music and film evoking the restless spirit of the era. Silent‑film pianist and Northern Silents founder Jonny Best offers an improvised soundtrack, joined by percussionist Trevor Bartlett—two of the UK’s leading silent‑film musicians, long since united at Leeds Film Festival in 2015. Their dynamic collaboration breathes fresh life into the old frames, creating an immersive experience that feels as vivid today as it did on the silver screen in 1929. Discover the forgotten gem that set Marlene Dietrich’s star on fire, and relive the romance, danger, and yearning of a timeless Weimar masterpiece—details and tickets available on our site.