Haunted Screens: German Cinema in the 1920s

press release: Haunted Screens: German Cinema in the 1920s is an exhibition that explores masterworks of German Expressionist cinema. Organized by La Cinémathèque française, Paris, the exhibition features production design drawings, photographs, posters, documents and equipment, as well as film clips from more than 20 films, and examines the groundbreaking period in film history that occurred in Germany during the Weimar era after World War I.  

The Expressionist movement introduced a highly charged emotionalism to the artistic disciplines of painting, photography, theater, literature, architecture, as well as film in the early part of the 20th century. German filmmakers employed geometrically distorted set designs, dramatic lighting, off-kilter framing, strong shadows and distorted perspectives to express a sense of uneasiness and discomfort. These films reflected the mood of Germany during the postwar Weimar period, when Germans were reeling from the death and destruction of WWI. The country endured hyperinflation and other hardships that eventually led to the rise of Adolf Hitler. 

Expressionist cinema served as a catalyst for subsequent film genres, most notably science fiction and horror. Conflicting attitudes about the future and technology appear prominently in Expressionist film, which is also a cornerstone of science fiction. Horror also has its roots in Expressionist films, which frequently featured monsters and villains with supernatural powers. Indeed, the influence of Expressionist cinema extends to the work of contemporary filmmakers including Tim Burton and Martin Scorsese.