Germany

After spending the 1930s as the Third Reich’s principal cinematic chronicler, Leni Riefenstahl returned to fictional films with Tiefland. According to Riefenstahl, she had refused to make any more propaganda pictures–“for good reasons,” she explained enigmatically–choosing instead to direct a period romance, based on an old Spanish play and opera by Eugen d’Albert. Riefenstahl cast herself as the central character, Marta, a Spanish dancer who becomes the romantic bone of contention between humble shepherd Franz Eichberger and imperious marquis Bernhard Minetti. While the material seems to cry out for music, Riefenstahl plays the story straight, though much of the acting can certainly be described as operatic.Read More »

12′ – West Germany 1959 – Directed and written by: Peter Schamoni – Cinematography by: Jost Vacano
Music by: Occamstreet Footwarmers – Produced by: Schongerfilm

A film made secretly in Moscow by Peter Schamoni during the World Festival of Youth and Students in the summer of 1957. His cameraman was Jost Vacano. During their trip, they made authentic film and audio recordings of a kind that had never been seen before in Western countries.Read More »

Bürger Grass – BRD 1965 – Drehbuch und Regie: Hansjürgen Pohland – Musik: Horst Geldmacher – Mit: Günter Grass, Willy Brandt – Produktion: Modern Art Film

Documentary short film in which we see Günther Grass giving conferences, signing books and speaking, among others, with Chancellor Willy Brandt.Read More »

The White Hell of Piz Palü opens with the male protagonist, Dr. Johannes Krafft, who mountain climbs with his wife on their honeymoon. At the sight of an avalanche, he laughs arrogantly. Nature seems to retaliate, and moments later Dr. Krafft’s wife slips, plummeting down a small, deep crevice. The encounter with forces of nature initiates Dr. Krafft’s grief-driven search effort to rescue his wife.Read More »

Werner Krauss, who had played the deranged Dr. Caligari six years earlier, stars as a scientist who is tormented by an irrational fear of knives and the irresistible compulsion to murder his wife. Driven to the brink of madness by fantastic nightmares (designed by Ernö Metzner and photographed by Guido Seeber in a brilliant mix of expressionism and surrealism), he encounters a psychoanalyst who offers to treat the perplexing malady.Read More »

Still shocking even today, From Morn to Midnight remains one of the boldest examples of German expressionist cinema. Based on a play by one of the era’s most respected expressionist writers, Georg Kaiser, the story centres on a bank cashier (Ernst Deutsch) who steals money after becoming enraptured by an elegant customer (Erna Morena). Driven by lust, he begs the customer to come away with him, but she laughs in his face. Distraught at having to return home to his drab family life, the cashier goes on the run, determined to seek out the pleasure and passion he has been missing. But he is continually haunted by visions of death, and his relationship with the stolen money soon sours.Read More »

German suspense/horror film, not about vampires in the modern sense. A ‘Vampire’ or ‘Vamp’ in 1920 was a purely sexual woman who lured men to their deaths. (Theda Bara was probably the most famous) This is an expressionist film, make on the heals of ‘Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’ by the same director, cameraman and art directors. The title Genuine, is the name of the lead character, played by Fern Andra.Read More »

German romantic comedy set in Munich, featuring Christoph Waltz in one of his early leading roles.Read More »

Part of DVD release Die “Oberhausener” – Provokation der Wirklichkeit (Provoking Reality)
Edition Filmmuseum 69Read More »