After serving a long prison sentence, smuggler Thomas Zezi returns home—only to discover a bitter betrayal. His chum Manopulos has moved into his apartment and started an affair with his girlfriend. Furious, Zezi throws them both out. Determined to leave his criminal past behind, he sets out to start a new, honest life. His encounter with the respectable Hilde Wollwarth gives him hope for a fresh start. Zezi falls in love and plans to marry her, carefully hiding the truth about his past. With forged papers and a new identity, he seems to be on track for a carefree future with Hilde—until anonymous blackmail letters begin to arrive.
THE CONVICT FROM ISTANBUL was filmed in May and June of 1929 and was one of the final silent film productions made by Ufa at its legendary Babelsberg Studios—at the same time the studio was beginning work on its first sound film, MELODY OF THE HEART. The film marked the Ufa debut of 29-year-old director Gustav Ucicky, the illegitimate son of painter Gustav Klimt, who had already earned recognition for his early directorial work. The story is based on the 1920 novel Das Fräulein und der Levantiner by popular author Fedor von Zobeltitz (1857–1934).
With a stellar cast featuring Willi Forst, Paul Hörbiger, Betty Amann, and especially Heinrich George—in his final silent film role—Ufa assembled some of the biggest names of the era. With this film, Ucicky established himself as a major directing talent. His next work, THE FLUTE CONCERT OF SANSSOUCI (1930), became one of Ufa’s great successes of the new age of sound film and laid the groundwork for his later career during the National Socialist period. During this time, Ucicky directed not only notable literary adaptations such as DER POSTMEISTER (1939/40), but also propaganda films. In 1945, he was banned from working by the Allied authorities, a ban that was lifted in 1947. He then resumed his career as a director and focused primarily on German-language popular cinema until his death in 1961.
The digitally restored version of the film – its restoration by the F.W. Murnau Foundation was sponsored by Bertelsmann – celebrates its world premiere at the UFA Film Nights 2025.
Composer and multi-instrumentalist PC Nackt will perform his original score live, written especially for the film.
