The First Silent Night: The Christmas Carol That United the World

The story

Renowned actor Simon Callow traces the 200-year history of Silent Night, traveling to Oberndorf and Salzburg to uncover the carol’s humble beginnings. The film follows the lives of Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber, two impoverished Austrian children whose paths converged in a small church, where Gruber’s melody joined Mohr’s lyrics to create the world’s most beloved carol. Born from hardship and hope after the Napoleonic wars, Silent Night transformed a quiet night’s story into a universal message of peace.

Cast & crew

Simon Callow

Self - Host - Narrator

WT

Werner Thuswaldner

Self - Historian and author

MH

Martin Hochleitner

Self - Historian and curator of the Salzburg Museum

RE