Events

July 1, 2026, 7:00 PM
Concert Studio Radio Varna

Presentation of “Cafe Elektric”, an Austrian film from the silent era, accompanied by Gerhard Gruber – piano

Under the Honorary Patronage of H.E. Mag. Andrea Ikić-Böhm – Ambassador of Austria in Bulgaria
With the kind support of the Austrian Cultural Forum Sofia

Photo from the film: Filmarchiv Austria
Photo of Gerhard Gruber: Robert Newald

With Cafe Elektric, director Gustav Ucicky and writer Jacques Bachrach provide us with yet another fine example of Weimar era film-making with its dissection of the interactions between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ of 1920s Vienna society. For the poor and those who have fallen on hard times, Cafe Elektric is a desperate place, a place for the pimps and prostitutes to meet clients and for petty thieves and con-men like Fredl to seek out new victims. But for the rich, like Erni and her father it is a place of thrills and excitement, as they go slumming and rub shoulders with the lower elements of society. But in this moral tale, an individual’s position in this social hierarchy is not necessarily fixed. Hansi craves to escape from her circumstances and thanks to her association with Stoger looks to have achieved this by the film’s conclusion. Yet for Erni, her relationship with Ferdl looks to have dragged her down and, having been thrown out by her father, will she too end up working at Cafe Elektrik.
Gerhard Gruber (1951) is an Austrian composer and piano player. As accompanist for silent films, he has become the leading authority in Austria since 1988.He has performed for about 600 different films and composed the music for Café Elektric.

Tickets at the box office: Theater and Music Production Center - Varna, Nezavisimost Sq. 1 Monday - Friday: 09:30 - 13:30 and 14:30 - 20:00, Saturday: 10:00 - 13:30 and 14:30 - 19:00 and Sunday: 11:00 - 16:00 phone: +359 52 665 022; reservations, phone: +359 52 665 020
Tickets online: Festival and Congress Center