Bavaria restoring 'Deep End'

1970s feature was thought lost for decades

CANNES -- After the international success of its DVD restoration of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's "Berlin, Alexanderplatz," Germany's Bavaria Media and Bavaria Film International are giving the HD restoration treatment to another '70s classic: Jerzy Skolimowski's "Deep End."

Bavaria is creating a fully remastered HD version of the 1970s feature, which was received with rave reviews but thought lost for several decades.

The restored version of "Deep End," featuring commentary by the director and the remastered soundtrack by Cat Stevens and German cult electronic band Can, will deliver this winter. Bavaria Film International is selling "Deep End" in Cannes.

And "Deep End" is only the start. Christoph Meiser, DVD project manager at Bavaria, said the restoration of several more "jewels" from Bavaria's back catalog are in the works, including three Fassbinder projects and a feature film from Billy Wilder.