Berlin, Symphony of a Great City (1927) was last accompanied live by DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid in 2001. The film, directed by German avant-garde film pioneer Walther Ruttmann (1887–1941), presents a typical day in Berlin from dawn until midnight.

The cinematography is by Relmar Kuntze, Robert Baberske and Laszlo Shaffer, and most of the film is said to have been shot using cameras concealed in suitcases. Many of the sequences are metaphorical, for example a crowd scene is juxtaposed with a shot of cattle, and dancers in a chorus line imitate a speeding train. As in his purely abstract films, Ruttmann presents the energy of movement and shapes which reflect the modern city in motion.

DJ Spooky (Paul D Miller, born 1970, Washington DC) is a composer, musician, multimedia artist and writer. His written work has appeared in The Village Voice, The Source, Artforum and Rapgun amongst other publications. Miller’s work as a media artist has appeared in a wide variety of contexts such as the Whitney Biennial; The Venice Biennial for Architecture (2000); the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, Germany; Kunsthalle, Vienna; The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh and many other museums and galleries.

Miller’s recent albums include Optometry (2002), a collaborative jazz project and Dubtometry (2003) featuring Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Mad Professor. Miller’s latest collaborative release, Drums of Death, features Dave Lombardo of Slayer and Chuck D of Public Enemy among others.