Film screening and talks
Dark Corners - Cinema of the Weimar Republic

Sat, 05.08.2017 -
Wed, 30.08.2017
Irish Film Institute

From 5 to 30 August 2017 the Irish Film Institute and the Goethe-Institut Irland will present an extensive season of films from the Weimar Republic.

In the aftermath of World War I, the Deutsches Reich underwent great social, political, and financial upheaval. Following the adoption of a new constitution that applied between 1919 and 1933, Germany during this period became known as the Weimar Republic, named after the city in which the national assembly was convened. Despite the significant difficulties being faced by the Republic, this was also a time of great cultural creativity. Cinema in particular flourished, as a generation of filmmakers appeared whose technical and narrative innovations mark this as a critical period in the development and history of the medium.
Expressionism, the first movement to gain popularity, sought to counter realism by stylising and distorting elements such as set design and lighting, as well as using symbolism and fantastic material in order to better explore a character's subjective perspective. As the 1920s progressed however, the movement fell out of fashion in favour of New Objectivity, which saw a return to realism as filmmakers began to turn to the camera on contemporary German society and its ills, focusing on those reduced to living on the margins.
This season seeks to acknowledge the enduring legacy of Weimar-era cinema, with major figures represented by films, which though perhaps lesser known, are no less powerful.
(Kevin Coyne, Irish Film Institute)

Stefan Drößler, Director of the Filmmuseum München, will take part in a discussion on Weimar cinema on Sunday, 27 August 2017 at 2:00 pm.
Tickets: €5

Film Programme:

Saturday, 5 August 2017, 3.15pm
Berlin, die Sinfonie der Großstadt / Berlin, Symphony of a Great City
Dir.: Walther Ruttmann, b/w 65min, Germany 1927
silent
The experimental documentary covers Berlin from morning until midnight with all its areas, all districts, all social classes.

Sunday, 6 August 2017, 2.30 pm
Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed / The Adventures of Prince Achmed
with live musical accompaniment
Dir.: Lotte Reiniger, b/w 66min, Germany 1926
silent
For the first animated feature in film history, Lotte Reiniger worked for three years and developed the silhouette technique. Heroic Prince Achmed is flying on a magical horse off to many adventures until he meets Princess Peri Banu whom he falls in love with.

Tuesday, 8 August 2017, 6.30 pm
Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam / The Gole - How He Came Into the World
with live musical accompaniment by Hilary Woods
Dir.: Paul Wegener, b/w 85 min, Germany 1920
silent
Set in the 16th century in Prague this film follows the story of Rabbi Loew who wants to prevent the expulsion of the Jews from the town, ordered by Kaiser Rudolf II. Loew uses black magic to create the figure of Golem who possesses enormous power and manages to save the Jewish community. But what happens to Golem when he has fulfilled his purpose?

Saturday, 12 August 2017, 1:00 pm
Frau im Mond / Woman in the Moon
Dir.: Fritz Lang, b/w 170 min, Germany 1929
silent
Based on the novel by Thea von Harbou the science fiction film covers a moon expedition. A group of six people is on the rocket to find gold on the moon: scientist Mannfeldt who developed the theory about gold on the moon, entrepreneur Helius together with his assistants Windegger and Friede who are engaged, evil buisiness man Turner and young boy Gustav, who has entered the rocket secretly. Problems arise when Turner shows his true colours and Helius falls in love with his engaged assistant Friede.

Sunday, 13 August 2017, 4.15 pm
Varieté / Variety
Dir.: Ewald André Dupont, b/w 104 min., Germany 1925
silent
Boss, sentenced for a murder, has been in prison for ten years, when his wife asks for a pardon in his case. Finally, Boss opens up about his past as a trapeze artist and his partner Berta-Marie whom he left his wife and daughter for. Madly in love with Berta-Marie he could not stand that she had betrayed him.

Tuesday, 15 August 2017, 6.30pm
Das Wachsfigurenkabinett / Waxworks
Dir.: Paul Leni, b/w 82 min, Germany 1924
silent
A young poet is commissioned to write stories for waxword figures by a show booth owner. The poet takes the job because he has fallen in love with his daughter. The film goes on showing three waxworks stories, written and dreamt by the poet, about "Sultan Harun al Rachid", "Ivan the Terrible" and "Jack the Ripper".
While the film is curently undergoing restauration, we are pleased to screen this version on 16mm.

Saturday, 19 August 2017, 2.15pm
Faust - eine deutsche Volkssage / Faust - A German Folk Tale
with an introduction by film historian Dr. Piotr Sadowski
Dir.: Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, b/w 119 min, Germany 1925
silent
Based on elements of Goethe's play, the film follows scholar Faust who signs a pact with devil Mephisto. Mephisto will give anything to Faust on earth as long as he will serve him in hell. But Faust is not aware that Mephisto has a bet with God going on and that they bet about him.

Sunday, 20 August 2017, 3.30 pm
Die Bergkatze / The Mountain Lion
Dir.: Ernst Lubitsch, b/w 86 min, Germany 1921
silent
In this romantic comedy, handsome Lieutenant Alexis is assigned to an isolated border fortress. He finds himself between two women: Lilli, the Commander's daughter, and Rischka, the "mountain lion", whose gang of feared robbers have attacked Alexis before his arrival.

Tuesday, 22 August 2017, 6.30 pm
Westfront 1918
with an introduction by film historian Dr. Piotr Sadowski
Dir.: Georg Wilhelm Pabst, b/w, 96 min, Germany 1930
silent
Based on the novel "Vier von der Infanterie" by Ernst Johannsen the film covers the story of four German soldiers who are fighting against the French during the last year of World War I: The optimistic Bavarian, Karl from Berlin who has been betrayed by his wife, the lieutenant who concentrates on his duty and a student who madly falls in love with a French girl. The war won't bring a happy ending to any of these different men.

Thursday, 24 August 2017, 6.30 pm
Mädchen in Uniform / Girls in Uniform
Dir.: Leontine Sagan, b/w 98 min, Germany 1931
with English subititles
The drama follows the story of 14-year-old Manuela who is sent to an aristocratic girl’s boarding school after her mother has died. The rules are strict at this school: discipline, orderliness and abstinence. Manuela becomes more and more introvert, only young theatre teacher Miss von Bernburg can reach through to her.

Sunday, 27 August 2017, 3.30 pm
Menschen am Sonntag / People on Sunday
with an introduction by Stefan Drößler, Director of the Filmmuseum München
Dir.: Robert Siodmak, b/w 74 min, Germany 1929
silent
On a summer day in Berlin the camera follows different residents of the city through their everyday activities, their work, their leisure time.

Wednesday, 30 August 2017, 6.30 pm
Kuhle Wampe oder Wem gehört die Welt? / Kuhle Wampe or Who Owns the World
Dir.: Slatan Dudow, b/w 76 min, Germany 1932
with English subtitles
Originally banned because of its criticism of the Reich's president, religion and judiciary the drama is about a working class familiy in Berlin. Both father and son are unemployed and the rent hasn't been payed for six months. Eventually the family moves to the tent camp "Kuhle Wampe", just outside of Berlin on Lake Mueggel.

Tickets available from the IFI: +353 1 679 3477 or www.ifi.ie

Presented by the Irish Film Institute and the Goethe-Institut Irland