About

Presented as part of the 'Motorcycles on Screen' cinema program, this is a rare screening of Lothar Rübelt's A Motorcycle Trip Among the Clouds 1926. An early example of documentary travel cinema, the film follows a group of motorcycle riders as they journey through the Dolomite mountain range – a section of the Alps located in northeastern Italy. The Austrian Rübelt was a pioneer of sports photography and his eye for striking visual composition is evident in this spectacular time capsule of European motorcycle adventure.

The film will screen from an imported archival 35mm print provided by the Austrian Film Museum. The print has been colour tinted to correspond to the colours of the original nitrate print. Organist David Bailey will accompany the film on the Gallery's 1929 Wurlitzer organ.

Mabel Normand and Mack Sennett's comedy short Mabel at the Wheel 1914, starring Charlie Chaplin, will screen from a digital restoration prior to A Motorcycle Trip Among the Clouds.