Harry Smith worked ten years on this film, shooting it from 1970 to 1972 and editing it until 1980. It should translate the opera of the same name by Brecht / Weill into pictures that people from all around the world could understand. Much of the film takes place within the Chelsea Hotel and contains portraits of Patti Smith, Allen Ginsberg and others.
Because of it’s difficult technique - it required 4 projections at the same time - it was only shown a few times in 1980. 20 years later all 4 16mm projections were carefully copied into one 35 mm film and the movie was shown at film festivals all over the world.