Haunted Screens: German Cinema in the 1920s

Haunted Screens: German Cinema in the 1920s, features set designs, drawings, photographs, posters, and more from masterworks of German Expressionist cinema. 

Influenced by the highly charged emotionalism of the Expressionist movement, 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. These works served as a catalyst for science fiction and horror and continue to inspire contemporary filmmakers, including Tim Burton and Martin Scorsese.

Organized by La Cinémathèque française, in Paris, this exhibition includes film clips from more than 20 films, offering a window to an exceptionally groundbreaking period in German film history.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.