The Haunted Screen: The Impact of German Expressionism in Films
Date: 7 March 2025
Time: 5:30 – 6:30 PM
Venue: KCC Library
This March we have Raju Raman delivering an illustrated talk on the impact of German Expressionism in films at the KCC Library.
Post First World War from 1914 - 1918 saw the emergence of expressionism in the art movement in Europe, particularly in Germany, which found its way into the German Expressionist Cinema of the 1920s. Although sound had not yet arrived in cinema during this period, the silent films by some of the masters of the craft during that era spoke volumes about the prevailing socio-economic conditions of that period, In a way they even foretold the state of affairs to come, as a kind of forewarning and thus left an indelible impact on other genres of cinema to emerge later in that century. This session seeks to provide insights into some of the traits in the silent cinema of that decade, some of which have remained relevant even a century later.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
S.V. Raman, popularly known as Raju Raman, retired as Programme Director of Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Kolkata in April 2010. He worked as a Programme Consultant to Victoria Memorial Hall, teaches public speaking / communication / journalism / film / German at various institutions, and is an avid debater and cultural activist, while also working as a freelance journalist, translator and interpreter. He is connected with several social and cultural organizations in various capacities. Presently he is the President of Cine Academy, Bichitra Pathshala, and the Indo-German Association, Chairperson of The Creative Arts, Secretary of Manovikas Kendra and Sahay, Governing Committee Member of The Calcutta School of Music, as well as an active Executive Member of the Calcutta Debating Circle.
