''Living Buddhas'' (German: ''Lebende Buddhas'') is a 1925 German

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

in five chapters, directed by

Paul Wegener Paul Wegener (11 December 1874 – 13 September 1948) was a German actor, writer, and film director known for his pioneering role in German expressionist cinema. Acting career At the age of 20, Wegener decided to end his law studies and conce ...

and starring Wegener,

Asta Nielsen The General Students' Committee (German: Allgemeiner Studierendenausschuss) or AStA, is the acting executive board and the external representing agency of the (constituted) student body at universities in most German states. It is therefore consid ...

and

Käthe Haack Käthe Haack (born Käte Lisbeth Minna Sophie Isolde Haack; 11 August 1897 – 5 May 1986) was a German stage and film actress. She appeared in more than 200 films and 30 television productions between 1915 and 1985. Life and career Käte Li ...

. It was co-written by Wegener and

Hans Stürm Hans Stürm (1874–1933) was a German actor, screenwriter and playwright. He worked with the director Richard Eichberg on a number of films either in acting of scripting roles.Paietta p. 64 His stage play ''The Unfaithful Eckehart'' was turned i ...

(who played Professor Campbell in the film). Wegener cast himself as the evil High Llama of a devil cult. Danish actress Nielsen's film career went downhill quickly with the advent of sound films. It was made at the Staaken Studios in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

. Only five minutes of footage survive of the original 139-minute running time.Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 286. .

Plot

Professor Campbell and his young wife travel to

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

on an expedition to investigate a primitive and savage cult. The high priest of the cult plans to use Mrs. Campbell as a human sacrifice. The professor succeeds in getting the entire party out of Tibet, and even manages to bring with him a sacred document belonging to the cult. Once back in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, he tries to decipher the parchment, but the cult members have followed him home.

Cast

as Großlama (the High Llama) *

as Tibetanerin *

as Frau Campbell *

Gregori Chmara Gregori Mikhailovich Chmara (Ukrainian: Григорій Михайлович Хмара, Russian: Григорий Михайлович Хмара; 29 July 1878 – 3 February 1970) was a Ukrainian-born stage and film actor whose career spanned ...

as Jebsun *

Carl Ebert Carl Anton Charles Ebert (20 February 1887 – 14 May 1980), was an actor, stage director and arts administrator. Ebert's early career was as an actor, training under Max Reinhardt and becoming one of the leading actors in his native Germany duri ...

as Professor Smith *

Friedrich Kühne Friedrich Kühne (24 April 1870 – 13 October 1959), born Franz Michna, was a German film actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1913 and 1957. Selected filmography * ''The Iron Cross'' (1914) * ''Detektiv Br ...

as 1. Lama *

Max Pohl Max Pohl (10 December 1855 – 7 April 1935) was an Austrian stage and film actor.Gadberry p.155 Selected filmography * '' The Black Tulip Festival'' (1920) * '' The Marquise of Armiani'' (1920) * ''The Fear of Women'' (1921) * '' The Oath of Ste ...

as 2. Lama *

Heinrich Schroth Heinrich August Franz Schroth (23 March 1871 – 14 January 1945) was a German stage and film actor. Career Schroth was born in Pirmasens, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He made his acting debut at the Sigmaringen Royal Theatre in 1890. In 1894 h ...

as Dr. Smith *

as Professor Campbell *

Eduard Rothauser Eduard Rothauser (1876–1956) was an Austrian-born German actor. Selected filmography * '' The Man in the Cellar'' (1914) * '' The Princess of Urbino'' (1919) * '' Nobody Knows'' (1920) * ''The Graveyard of the Living'' (1921) * '' The Mahar ...

References

External links

* Films of the Weimar Republic Films directed by Paul Wegener German silent feature films Films about Tibet Films shot at Staaken Studios German black-and-white films Terra Film films {{Germany-silent-film-stub