Shadows of War
Innovation and Tradition in European Cinema 1940-1950

The 1940s: a decade of extreme conditions and social unrest – brutal economic conditions, a devastated infrastructure and tight political control. The general topic stays – but with new perspectives.

The focus will be on filmmakers’ reaction to war and the aftermath. What artistic solutions did film directors in different European countries find to handle the chaos and the human and cultural catastrophes around them?

The central focus will again be the repercussions of the general economical and political situation on the aesthetic and artistic production. One facet of this will be a look at the fractures or continuities in filmmakers’ careers.