Shadow Cities

'Berlin. Die Sinfonie der Großstadt'

21 Feb 2013

Whether described as a documentary, avant-garde or abstract film, 'Berlin. Die Sinfonie der Großstadt' (1927) is one of the most famous portrayals of big city life. As one of the first so-called city symphonies, the film has become the most famous example of the productive encounter of cinema, urbanism and modernism during the Weimar-period (1919-1933). 'Berlin' simulates the passage of a single day in the life of the city’s masses through visual impressions in a semi-documentary style. We get to see the metropolis waking up, working and relaxing, including several glimpses of the city’s bustling nightlife – which was already famous during the 1920s.

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Not only is the film worth seeing for its visual spectacle and film director Walter Ruttmann’s innovative use of rhythmic montage, it is also an invaluable historical record of how Berlin looked liked before large tracts of the city were levelled during the Second World War. A few years after completing 'Berlin', Ruttmann started working for the Nazi’s, for whom he made several propaganda films idealizing life on the countryside.

Moritz Föllmer, lecturer at the University of Amsterdam, will provide us with a brief introduction on the film's two recurring themes, individuality and modernity.

During the film saxophone/clarinet players Leo van Oostrom and David Kweksilber will perform own work, which they selected to accompany Ruttmann's masterpiece, and several compositions by a.o. Stravinsky, Hindemith, Poulenc and Seiber. Also, original street noise recordings from 1920s Berlin will be played.

English | 7,50 Euro | Tickets at the door

This edition of Shadow Cities is generously supported by the Goethe Institute.