100 Years of Metropolis

The film

Metropolis is a science-fiction epic set in a future city split in two: a wealthy elite lives above ground while a worker underclass tends the machines below. Produced by Ufa and directed by Fritz Lang from a screenplay by Thea von Harbou, it starred Brigitte Helm as Maria and her robot double, with Gustav Fröhlich, Alfred Abel and Rudolf Klein-Rogge. It is remembered for its Art Deco and Expressionist sets, its choreographed crowds, and the transformation of the Maschinenmensch into a false Maria.

The premiere, and what came after

The film opened on 10 January 1927 at the Ufa-Palast am Zoo, Ufa's flagship cinema by the Berlin Zoo, then the largest in Germany. Within months Ufa withdrew it and cut it heavily; for decades Metropolis circulated only in shortened versions, and a quarter of it was thought lost. The Ufa-Palast am Zoo was destroyed by bombing in 1943; the Zoo Palast was built on the site in 1957.

One film, many lengths

Metropolis exists in more versions than almost any film. The lengths below are at 24 frames per second; single-minute differences between sources are rounding.

First film in the world memory

In 2001 Metropolis became the first film inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World register, which records documentary heritage of global significance. The inscription covered the 2001 restoration; the year is the certain fact, and the 'first film' distinction is how it is widely recorded.

The score, live

Gottfried Huppertz wrote a full orchestral score for the 1927 premiere, with more than a thousand cues that later helped restorers put the scenes back in order. The 2010 restoration was performed by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin under Frank Strobel. For the centenary, a new edition by Hans Brandner and Ben Palmer tours with live orchestras.

The centenary in 2027

The Murnau-Stiftung, based in Wiesbaden, opens its year-long 100 Jahre Metropolis programme on 10 January 2027 under the patronage of Hesse's arts minister, Timon Gremmels. It has announced a new 4K version for the second half of 2027, gala screenings, exhibitions and discussions, and a commemorative stamp and coin for the summer. Individual gala dates and host cinemas are not yet published.

Where to see it in 2027

The confirmed centenary performances so far are live-orchestra screenings in concert halls, not the cinemas KinoNow lists. We will add cinema screenings here as they are announced.

For repertory screenings of Metropolis and other restored classics through the year, follow our classics listings.

Common questions

When did Metropolis premiere?

10 January 1927, at the Ufa-Palast am Zoo in Berlin. Its centenary is 10 January 2027.

Which version is the complete one?

The Complete Metropolis from 2010, about 148 minutes, rebuilt around a near-complete print found in Buenos Aires in 2008.

Is there a new restoration for the anniversary?

Yes. The Murnau-Stiftung has a new 4K version funded by the FFA, due in the second half of 2027.

Where can I see it with a live orchestra in 2027?

Confirmed so far: Potsdam (10 January) and Nuremberg (22 and 24 January), with more expected.

Why is Metropolis on the UNESCO register?

It was inscribed on the Memory of the World register in 2001, recorded as the first film to be listed.